NECO’s Vision Health Equity Summit shines spotlight on disparities in eye care
The New England College of Optometry hosted its inaugural Vision Health Equity Summit, featuring health equity advocates who discussed societal inequities that can result from vision loss as well as solutions for a more equitable future.
“There is clear evidence of a myopia epidemic, making it the most significant vision threat of the century,” Fuensanta Vera-Diaz, OD, PhD, FAAO, associate professor and director of research at the New England College of Optometry (NECO), said in a NECO press release. “With high myopia already being the leading cause of visual impairments in working adults, we are seeing how myopia in children negatively affects them throughout their lives.”
The summit also featured an announcement from Michele Andrews, OD, vice president of professional and government affairs at CooperVision, about a pilot initiative to expand access to myopia management for underserved children.
“All children deserve accessible, quality eye care to protect their future eye health,” Andrews said. “We are leading the conversation to identify long-term solutions to overcome access inequity for kids with myopia.”
Rounding out the event was a panel discussion with health care providers, business and political leaders and other community partners, who discussed the importance of committing to address vision health equity.
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