Associate Professor Padmaja Sankaridurg, Professor Kovin Naidoo (CEO Brien Holden Vision Institute), Professor Kathryn Rose and Dr. Kate Gifford (National President Optometry Australia) were among the high profile eye health experts who addressed over 200 optometrists at the 2016 Brien Holden Lecture Series in Sydney on 31 July.
The commemorative event for Professor Brien Holden, held at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), was appropriately focussed on the global epidemic of myopia, a topic Professor Holden was particularly passionate about.
Delegates received an overview of the projected myopia epidemic, which included the aetiology of myopia, methods of slowing and controlling its progression and what they can implement in practice.
In addition to the academic program, delegates were also reminded about the work and passion of the Institute’s founder.
In addition to the academic program, delegates were also reminded about the work and passion of the Institute’s founder
“If almost half of humanity will be myopic by the middle of the century, we’ve got to make sure we’ve got the treatments ready to prevent our children of today from reaching high levels of myopia and the category of increased risk of blindness,” said Institute COO, Yvette Waddell.
“One thing Brien repeated often was that this is a huge challenge for optometry, and research organisations like ours and the industry will need to work hard to provide better treatment options for practitioners and patients and to build on and disseminate the knowledge we have about the condition.
“We were delighted to continue in Brien’s footsteps to not only inform optometrists about what they can do, but also, what is happening at the research level to ensure they have the tools they need to counter this global threat.”
In addition to lectures, delegates attended workshops on binocular vision and therapeutic drugs presented by the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Australia, and orthokeratology led by Margaret Lam of the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia.
The Institute also showcased its latest research, and exhibitors including CooperVision, AFT Pharmaceuticals and ArtMost.
In total, delegates were eligible to receive up to 18 CPD points.
For more information about the ‘Myopia Management’ lectures visit: www.brienholdenlectureseries.net
