BHVI and Review of Myopia Management Unite for Third Consecutive Myopia Awareness Week

The Brien Holden Vision Institute is ramping up its public health messaging ahead of the annual campaign, with new tools for clinicians set to launch alongside the May initiative.

The Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) and Review of Myopia Management have confirmed their partnership for a third consecutive Myopia Awareness Week, with this year's campaign running from 18 - 24 May 2026 under the theme "Start Early, Protect Vision for Life!"

The collaboration aims to sharpen focus on early detection and timely intervention, while also elevating the role of lifestyle factors, particularly outdoor activity, in reducing the global myopia burden. This year marks a notable shift in campaign emphasis, with BHVI expanding its reach beyond the clinical community to target broader public awareness.

"Each year, we are reaching more clinicians, increasing awareness of myopia and its impact on eye health, while also highlighting the growing opportunities for clinicians to manage, and slow its progression in their patients," said BHVI CEO Yvette Waddell.

Waddell noted that the 2026 campaign would equip practitioners with dedicated resources to communicate myopia risks directly to the public, a step up from previous iterations of the campaign that focused primarily on clinical education.

A Growing Global Crisis

The urgency behind the campaign is well founded. Myopia remains the leading cause of visual impairment in children, with projections suggesting the condition will affect half the world's population, approximately five billion people, by 2050. Uncorrected myopia also ranks among the leading causes of blindness globally.

Against that backdrop, the campaign is championing three clear actions for eye care professionals to promote: scheduling regular eye examinations for school-aged children, encouraging a minimum of two to three hours of daily outdoor play, and continuing to raise community awareness of myopia's long-term consequences.

New Myopia Calculator Feature on the Way

Coinciding with the campaign launch, BHVI will release an updated feature for its Myopia Calculator, enhancing the tool's Risk of Myopia function. The upgrade is designed to assist clinicians in holding more informed conversations with patients who may be at elevated risk due to genetic or lifestyle factors a practical addition for practices looking to sharpen their myopia management protocols.

Getting Practices Involved

A complimentary campaign toolkit including ready-to-use graphics, posters and patient education materials will be made available to practices ahead of the campaign window. Clinics and organisations wishing to be listed as official supporters on the campaign website can register at bhvi.org/maw-supporter-signup.

Kristen Dalli, Executive Editor of Review of Myopia Management, stressed the real-world stakes of participation. "The changes we make today mean we can prevent the onset or slow the progression of myopia and see longer tomorrow," she said.

For Australian practitioners, Myopia Awareness Week represents a timely opportunity to bring myopia management conversations out of the consulting room and into schools, community groups and households where early habits are formed and lasting vision outcomes are shaped.