As Guest Editor for the February 2025 issue of mivision, it is a pleasure to bring you a collection of articles by orthoptists, optometrists, and ophthalmologists, putting the spotlight once again on paediatric eye disease.
With this issue’s focus on collaboration, the words of Aristotle, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” certainly ring true when we consider how, together, we can efficiently and effectively bring eye health care to the paediatric population.
This issue covers multiple topics including the importance of screening, myths about strabismus, the increasing incidence of myopia, and how ethnic diversity and language barriers can negatively impact on the management of childhood eye disease.
It also highlights procedural anxiety in ophthalmology, recognising that an anxious child does become the anxious adult.
Alongside the problems, are the solutions. The workforce needed in any one craft group is not sufficient to service our growing population, but as we work collaboratively, each health profession brings its own experience, skillset, and expertise to the table so that together we can optimise the best possible outcomes for our children.
Harmonisation of vision screening standards across the country, building workforce capacity, and the development of a collaborative, solution-oriented approach are essential to meet this goal. Taken together, these strategies are all testament to our willingness, enthusiasm, and commitment to agree on principles and to promote strategies to ensure all children across Australia and New Zealand have access to timely, affordable, and appropriate eye health care.
Dr Sandra Staffieri AO
