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Mexican president elevates practice of optometry
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The president of Mexico modified Article 79 of the country’s Health Act, including optometry as a health profession that requires a university degree to practice, according to a press release from Optometry Giving Sight and the World Council of Optometry.
The amendment, which President Enrique Peña Nieto signed into law March 17, will apply to all new graduates.
“This is a significant achievement that confirms the important role that optometrists play as the first point of contact for primary eye care as recognized by the World Health Organisation and many countries across the world,” Susan Cooper, OD, president of the World Council of Optometry, said in the release. “We would like to congratulate AMFECCO and all the players in Mexico and abroad who helped to achieve this important outcome.”
"Although much is still required, this change in the law should have a significant impact on elevating the quality of optometric education and practice in Mexico,” Juan Carlos Aragon, OD, global chairman of Optometry Giving Sight, added. “I am convinced that, over time, the provision of primary eye care will expand throughout the country in benefit of the Mexican population."
The Mexican Institute of Geography and Statistics states that visual impairment is the second most frequent disability in the country, according to the release.
“It is estimated that 43% of the Mexican population needs optometric services, and that the country requires approximately 12,000 optometrists to satisfy the existing demand,” according to the World Council of Optometry and Optometry Giving Sight. “At the moment, the 15 universities offering the optometry degree graduate an average of 400 optometrists each year.”
The two groups said they have been supporting the practice of optometry in Mexico through advocacy and promoting the development of human resources. They stated in the release that they are both part of a coalition to establish the first school of optometry in Southern Mexico, which is considered to be one of the most deprived regions of the country.