Myopia is a condition that pervades the lives of many individuals in Singapore¹. In response to increasing demands for eyecare needs, the Ministry of Health has also set up more community eye clinics as part of their strategy to move Beyond Hospital to Community². Yet, despite the omnipresent impact of Myopia in Singapore, public eye health literacy is low; many are not aware about the long-term complications of Myopia³ and thus, do not see the urgency to address this issue⁴.

To solve such a complex and longstanding problem, private-public partnerships are crucial in transforming the eye health ecosystem in Singapore. One objective of the Community Eye Health Project (CoEH) is to optimize eye care in Singapore by maximizing resources that are currently under-utilized  community optometric practices, A two-way referral network will be established, where Government hospitals will refer patients to a list of participating private practices.

Patients with eye conditions that require treatment or further investigation will be referred back to the hospitals. This will reduce the waiting time for appropriate eyecare significantly and patients will have the ease and convenience of visiting a nearby community optometrist for their primary eye care needs.

Currently, a pilot phase is underway involving Singapore National Eye Centre’s Myopia Centre and up to 20 community-based optometrists. Johnson and Johnson Vision continues its role and commitment to help facilitate the partnerships, provide resources such as practice tools, education and public education regarding the importance of eye health. A global myopia management guide was launched in Jan 2021 which was jointly developed and endorsed by the SOA, American Optometric Association and American Academy of Optometry. A Myopia Management course was also launched in the first half of 2021 to educate and update ECPs about the latest practice standards and importance of Myopia Management.