September: International Myopia Awareness Month

Every year in many parts of the world (India, USA, Australia, UK, Canada, etc.), September marks a key moment for eye health: Myopia Action Month , an international initiative launched by Myopia Profile.

This platform, founded by Kate Gifford, PhD, an Australian myopia specialist, is supported by major players in the sector: CooperVision, EssilorLuxottica, Johnson & Johnson Vision, and SightGlass Vision, among others! The 2025 edition generated over 3 million interactions on the Myopia Profile platforms, representing a 4.5-fold increase compared to 2023.

In 2026, the movement accelerates even further. Why such mobilization? Well, firstly, because the numbers amply justify it.

World Myopia Month: The silent epidemic won't wait

The projections leave no doubt: 50% of the world's population could be myopic by 2050. In France, myopia already affects 2.1 million children , including 510,000 suffering from high myopia (greater than -6 diopters) or very progressive myopia.

This makes the issue particularly urgent: each additional diopter of myopia increases the risk of serious conditions in adulthood by 67% —retinal detachment, glaucoma , early-onset cataracts, myopic maculopathy, which can lead to blindness. And yet, a significant portion of the general public is still unaware that myopia can be slowed down from childhood.

Myopia control: major advances

This is where the industry has the most to say – and to sell, in the noble sense of the term!

Peripheral defocusing lenses – MiYOSMART (Hoya, DIMS technology) and Stellest (Essilor, HAL technology) – were the subject of a large-scale French study published in June 2025 in the British Medical Journal Open Ophthalmology . The study, conducted by Krys Group in partnership with the University Hospital of Poitiers, involved 7,500 children aged 4 to 15. The results showed that both technologies effectively slow the progression of myopia, even in children as young as 4, with comparable efficacy. Both DIMS and HAL lenses demonstrated a 50% to 70% reduction in refractive error and axial length.

A major development not to be missed during consultations: since July 1, 2025, MiYOSMART lenses are recognized by the HAS (French National Authority for Health) and covered by French Health Insurance . This is a concrete benefit for families, who often found these lenses too expensive.

In addition, there is MyoCare (Zeiss) , the first range of myopic control lenses adapted to age, for personalized care according to the child's profile.

Regarding contact lenses, orthokeratology —wearing rigid lenses at night and allowing clear vision during the day—shows suppression rates between 40 and 70%, according to studies . As for daytime soft contact lenses with suppression , their effectiveness is estimated at around 60% in children aged 8 to 12 .

Finally, very low-concentration atropine (0.01%) remains the only medical treatment reimbursed by the French National Health Insurance at this time. The IMI 2025 report lists 21 randomized clinical trials confirming its long-term efficacy—notably confirmed by the LAMP study with 5 years of follow-up.

Myopia Awareness Month: and what about France in all this?

While Myopia Action Month is an international initiative originating in Australia, France has established its own annual event, with a very different approach and participants. National Myopia Week (not the month) takes place every year in the autumn – in November – and not in September.

This is an important distinction for French opticians who wish to be associated with it: the two events are complementary, but do not mobilize the same communities or the same tools.

National Myopia Week is organised by the Institute for Medical Education and Prevention (IEMP) , as part of the "Let's act together against myopia" campaign, launched in 2022 in partnership with the National Union of Ophthalmologists of France (SNOF) .

Its 3rd edition was held from November 24 to 30, 2025 , around the slogan: "Against myopia, it's now that we act!"

The 4th edition is expected in November 2026.

Behind the event, there is a whole collective "Together against myopia" that is mobilizing: glassmakers, lens manufacturers, optical networks, representative organizations of visual health professionals, associations of myopic and visually impaired patients.

The French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics ( AFPA ) and the National Union of French Pediatricians (SNPF) are also partners — a strong signal of the multidisciplinary dimension of the initiative.

In concrete terms, the Week is structured around three pillars : Prevent, Detect, Curb .

On the prevention side, the messages are simple and actionable: spend two hours a day outdoors, limit screen time, respect the 20-20-20 rule, maintain a distance of 30 cm between the eye and the screen, and get enough sleep.

Regarding screening, the message is clear: consult an ophthalmologist no later than the start of first grade, and then every two years. And for preventing the development of the condition: refer children to the programs recommended by the specialist.

On the ground, the event takes several forms simultaneously.

In their offices and in stores , ophthalmologists, orthoptists, opticians and pediatricians distribute official information materials and are available to answer families' questions.

On social media , the Week relies on media personalities and influential health professionals to spread the messages on a large scale.

A vision simulator with different degrees of myopia has also been launched to give a concrete experience of the visual impairment linked to myopia, on the Together Against Myopia website.

Throughout France , local screening initiatives have been organized by cities, orthoptists, hospitals, and associations. This demonstrates that the event is reaching the entire country, extending beyond the major national networks.

For independent opticians, this is precisely the opportunity to seize: to join this national movement with visible local action — free screening, parent conference, window display — by capitalizing on the official resources made available on ensemblecontrelamyopie.fr!