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February 3, 2021February 2, 2021

New Global Survey Underscores Need for Myopia Education

Recently released global survey results from CooperVision underscore a gap between the concern of eye care professionals and the understanding of parents regarding the growing myopia epidemic and the impact myopia can have on future eye health. Four in five eye care professionals (82%) worry that their young patients will have significant eye health issues associated with myopia as they grow older and yet over half (54%) say parents don’t understand these future eye health risks. These and other findings are featured in an infographic available here.

402 ECPs and 1,009 parents with children ages 6 to 15 across Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, Germany, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand were included in the Global Myopia Attitudes and Awareness Study.

Globally, parents are more familiar with the term nearsighted (i.e. short-sighted) than myopia, though the difference varies from country to country. Whereas at least 8 in 10 parents expressed familiarity with the term nearsighted across all surveyed countries (82-98%), only Spain (91%), Hong Kong (86%), and Australia and New Zealand (90%) could say the same for myopia.

Nearly three-quarters of ECPs agree a comprehensive myopia management program featuring MiSight® 1 day seems easy (72%) for children and their parents to follow and is an even more convenient (75%) way to manage myopia than other products. Ultimately, what many ECPs (92%) find important about offering myopia management is the ability to make a difference in their young patients’ future eye health.

“In these results, we see both opportunity and encouragement for myopia management globally,” said Jennifer Lambert, CooperVision senior director of global myopia management. “A top priority for us and many of our partners is to close the gap of myopia awareness among parents worldwide.”

Selected data and insights from the survey were recently presented in a scientific poster session during the 2020 BCLA UK Virtual Conference and Exhibition.

Click HERE for the full press release.

GMAC Elects 2021 Board of Directors

The Global Myopia Awareness Coalition (GMAC), an advisory board under the World Council of Optometry announces its 2021 Board of Directors. Formed in 2019, the coalition comprises leading ophthalmic companies and eye health associations focused on the clear need for increased public awareness about childhood myopia.

The GMAC 2021 Board of Directors includes:

Juan Carlos Aragon, GMAC Chair. President, CooperVision Specialty EyeCare
Matt Oerding, Immediate Past Chair & Marketing Committee Co-chair. CEO & Co-founder, Treehouse Eyes
Lisa McAlister, Marketing Committee Co-chair. Global Myopia Lead, Johnson & Johnson Vision
Kovin Naidoo. Senior Vice President, Social Impact, Africa & Latin America, Essilor
Millicent Knight, Senior Vice President, Customer Development Group, Essilor of America
Bill Scott, President, Jobson Healthcare Information
Marc Ferrara, CEO of Information Services, Jobson Healthcare Information
Raul Trillo, Chief Commercial Officer, Nevakar Inc.
Tony Sommer, Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Visioneering Technologies Inc.
Scott Mundle, Immediate Past President, World Council of Optometry

Founded with a mission to “promote public awareness of childhood myopia as a treatable disease through direct-to-consumer channels and awareness with governments, NGOs and other health care associations,” GMAC does not advocate for specific clinical approaches. Instead, it’s designed to stimulate public interest and prompt parental conversations with eye care practitioners.

“I’m proud to serve as chair of GMAC, helping build on an ever-growing body of work to advance awareness among parents about childhood myopia,” says Dr. Aragon. “Being part of a movement that has the potential to improve millions of lives is incredibly motivating and inspiring. We know that no company can do this alone, but together we are making a difference that will be felt for generations.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

February 2, 2021May 19, 2026

Safilo Reports Full Year 2020 Preliminary Sales

The Board of Directors of Safilo Group has examined the Group’s preliminary net sales for the financial year ended December 31, 2020. The full year annual results will be approved by the Board of Directors on March 11, 2021.

Safilo’s preliminary 2020 net sales equaled Euro 780.3 million, down 15.2% at constant exchange rates and 16.9% at current exchange rates compared to Euro 939.0 million recorded in 2019, due to the sharp decline following the severe lockdowns to fight the Covid-19 global pandemic.

The main drivers of the Group’s Q4 2020 net sales performance were:

The resilience of the North American wholesale business, up 8.9% on an organic basis excluding the acquisitions and at constant exchange rates. Q4 total sales in North America were up 27.0% at constant exchange rates and 19.2% at current exchange rates, thanks to the contribution of Privé Revaux and Blenders Eyewear;
The challenging trading conditions in Europe, where net sales declined by 18.0% at constant exchange rates (-16.0% for the wholesale business) and 19.4% at current exchange rates.

A business rebound in Asia Pacific, with the quarterly sales up 28.1% at constant exchange rates and 24.1% at current exchange rates, from -6.4% in Q3 2020.

The progress of Safilo’s online sales in Q4 stands at around 12% of the Group’s net sales (from around 4.5% in the same period of 2019), thanks to the contribution of Blenders and Privé Revaux’s e-com activities, and to an organic online sales growth of +60.9% at constant exchange rates, driven by Smith’s D2C channel and by the Group’s sales generated through internet pure players.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Etnia Barcelona Foundation Partners with Vons Vision to Aid in Eye Examinations for Children and Students

Etnia Barcelona Foundation, in collaboration with Vons Vision, will be partnering with 5 local optometrists to aid in eye examinations for children and students in need. This event will take place in Brandon, Florida on February 6 from 8am to 4pm.

In addition to the basic screenings and full examinations, Etnia Barcelona Foundation will facilitate the corrective eyewear needed for every child.

The demographic targeted by this outreach program faces significant barriers as a result of their visual impairments. For younger children in elementary school, poor vision leads to a greater inability to perform fundamental skills like reading and writing.

Because a child may not be able to see words and numbers correctly, their ability to learn and develop is greatly impeded. Even vision that is only slightly worse than that of their classmates can cause children to quickly fall behind in school, significantly hindering their education in the long run. Etnia Barcelona Foundation in collaboration with Von’s Vision hopes to ensure that subpar vision will not negatively impact these students inside and outside the classroom.

Below is the list of confirmed doctors:

Dr. Ornella Aluweisi of Eyes On Lakeland
Dr. Ryan Oldin of Eyes On Lakeland
Dr. Pauline Thai of Florida Eye Specialist & Cataract Institute
Dr. Kimberly Chaney
Dr. Marielle Alcantara of OptiMart

The program currently has over 150 registrants and counting.

To register go to: VonM i ller.org

January 29, 2021January 29, 2021

Bank of Canada Donates 650 Smartphones to Canadians with Sight Loss

The Bank of Canada is donating 650 of its gently used smartphones to Canadians with sight loss through CNIB’s Phone It Forward program.

Phone it Forward refurbishes modern, gently used smartphones, loads them with accessible apps, and puts them directly into the hands of Canadians who are blind or partially sighted. The program also provides recipients with technology training.

“This is so much more than a green initiative aimed at reusing smartphones, it’s about putting accessible technology and a powerful tool in the hands of Canadians with sight loss,” said Maureen Carroll, Bank of Canada’s Managing Director, Currency.

Sixty-one per cent of Canadians with sight loss use a smartphone in their daily activities, according to CNIB’s 2020 Technology Use Survey.

Phone It Forward recipients learn about accessible apps that can enhance independence, such as travelling with GPS, taking the proper dosage of medication, identifying colours and faces, reading printed text, accessing live video assistance from a sighted volunteer, and dozens of other day-to-day tasks that may have seemed challenging before.

“The Bank of Canada’s generosity will go a long way towards revolutionizing daily life for hundreds of individuals who are blind. For many of the recipients, a smartphone would have been out of reach,” said John M. Rafferty, CNIB’s President and CEO. “CNIB challenges other Canadian businesses and corporations to follow the Bank of Canada’s footsteps and donate their gently used smartphones to change the lives of Canadians with sight loss.”

To donate your smartphone, make a financial donation or learn more, visit phoneitforward.ca.

Click HERE for the full press release.