Healthy Harold, the much-loved Australian children’s icon, has partnered with OPSM to teach kids about eye health and myopia.
A recognisable figure to generations of Australians growing up, in 2020 Healthy Harold is wearing glasses for the first time in a bid to educate parents and kids on the issue of myopia, to share advice to help curb the cause, and promote early and regular eye health checks in children.
Healthy Harold, our mascot, will help us encourage Australian kids to look after their eye health
One in five Australian kids currently experience eye problems in some form, with myopia being the biggest eye health issue affecting children today.1 It is estimated that by 2050, myopia will affect more than 50% of the world’s population.2
Carl James, OPSM Vice President Sales and Operations commented, “We believe that partnering with a well-known character like Healthy Harold, will help us spread the word about the importance of eye health in children, particularly when it comes to myopia.”
Kellie Sloane, CEO, Life Education said, “Life Education is a non-profit organisation that empowers young people to make safer and healthier choices through education. We’re very excited to be partnering with OPSM to help raise awareness of the importance of looking after your eyesight, especially when screen time has become such a big issue in today’s society. And Healthy Harold, our mascot, will help us encourage Australian kids to look after their eye health”.
Life Education and OPSM’s partnership kicked off on 28 September.
References
- Good Vision For Life, an Optometry Australia initiative
- The impact of myopia and high myopia: Report of the Joint World Health Organization – Brien Holden Vision Institute Global Scientific Meeting on Myopia. University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. 16-18 March 2015
