1:30min
As one of three Optometry Australia members awarded the LOOK International scholarship in 2024, Jia Jia Lek had the opportunity to travel to Singapore to study optometric advancements in eye care not yet readily available in Australia.
In this article, she shares discoveries from her trip, focusing on Singapore’s cutting-edge efforts in myopia prevention, a growing public health concern worldwide.
In July 2024, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Singapore as part of the LOOK International scholarship, supported by Optometry Australia. The primary objective of this trip was to gain insight into how various stakeholders collaborate towards myopia prevention in Singapore, a nation that has been at the forefront of addressing this significant public health concern.
During my visit, I had the privilege of engaging with representatives from the Health Promotion Board, gaining invaluable understanding of the public education, school-based screening programs, and collaborative efforts with various stakeholders. These interactions provided me with a comprehensive overview of the roles played by each stakeholder in the National Myopia Prevention Program, the intricate details of the programs, the challenges faced, and the strategic approaches employed to ensure successful implementation.
Furthermore, I had the opportunity of meeting with the president of the Singapore Optometric Association, who highlighted the crucial role played by the optometry professional body in myopia control, prevention, and advocacy efforts. I also visited the institutions offering optometric training in Singapore, where I gained insights into their myopia-focused curricula, innovative teaching methodologies, and collaborative partnerships with industry stakeholders. Additionally, I spent time with optometrist practice owners to understand their frontline efforts in promoting and implementing myopia control strategies, as well as their engagement with patients. I also interviewed parents and caregivers to comprehend the impact of public messaging on myopia prevention among families with children across various educational levels, from pre-school to senior school.
I am grateful for the time and invaluable insights shared by all the individuals I encountered during this extraordinary trip. These face-to-face interactions allowed me to gain a deeper understanding and first-hand experience of how different stakeholders effectively collaborate, as well as the challenges and facilitators involved in advocating for myopia prevention. I look forward to reviewing these learnings and using them to formulate recommendations on how stakeholders in Australia can collaborate to mitigate the negative impacts of myopia within our communities. I am grateful to Optometry Australia for supporting this invaluable trip through the LOOK international scholarship.
Jia Jia will present the full insights and learnings from her trip in an article scheduled for publication in an upcoming issue of Optometry Connection.