As Australia marks Myopia Awareness Week this May, clinicians are continuing to emphasise the importance of early detection and evidence-based intervention in response to the rising prevalence of childhood myopia.
Myopia Awareness Week 2026 will run from 18–24 May under the theme “Start Early, Protect Vision for Life”.
Led by the Brien Holden Vision Institute in partnership with the Review of Myopia Management, the campaign highlights the role of early detection and timely intervention in reducing long-term ocular health risks associated with myopia.
For Dr Susan Ang-Ngo, founder of Eyestore Bankstown, the past decade has seen a significant shift from traditional refractive correction to proactive myopia management.
“Attending international myopia conferences over the past 10 years has really ignited my passion for myopia management,” she says. “Meeting scientists and researchers exploring the pathogenesis of myopia has significantly influenced the way I practise.”
She says ongoing professional education has further refined her clinical approach.
“Completing the International Academy of Myopia Management has connected me with a global network of clinicians managing complex cases and evolving treatment strategies,” Dr Ang-Ngo says.
“It has provided access to a collaborative forum of world-renowned eyecare practitioners focused on advancing myopia care.”
Her clinical protocols are guided by the International Myopia Institute (IMI) white papers, which provide evidence-based recommendations for risk assessment, treatment selection, and ongoing monitoring.
According to Dr Ang-Ngo, the integration of biometry into routine clinical practice has been one of the most important developments in modern myopia management.
“Biometry is incredibly valuable in helping determine how aggressive treatment needs to be,” she says. “We’re shifting the conversation from spectacle prescription alone to a stronger focus on axial length.”
She notes that refractive error by itself may not fully reflect a patient’s long-term ocular risk.
“For example, a -4.00D patient with a 24mm axial length is often less concerning than a -2.00D patient with a 26mm axial length,” she says. “That’s where we intervene more urgently.”
This approach reflects increasing evidence that axial elongation is a key predictor of future ocular pathology and long-term visual outcomes.
At Eyestore Bankstown, myopia management begins with a comprehensive diagnostic process.
“We ensure all young patients undergo cycloplegic refraction and a detailed fundus examination before commencing any myopia treatment,” Dr Ang-Ngo says.
The practice incorporates:
- Optical biometry to monitor axial length progression
- Widefield retinal imaging to establish baseline ocular health
- Medmont topography to rule out keratoconus before contact lens or orthokeratology fitting
“We want to ensure we are not missing any contraindications before progressing with treatment,” she says.
Spectacle-based interventions as a first-line option
Spectacle-based myopia control remains a first-line intervention for many patients, says Dr Ang-Ngo.
“Essilor Stellest lenses has demonstrated efficacy in both patient adaptation and slowing myopia progression in published clinical studies,” she says.
“We’ve also seen strong clinical outcomes in managing axial elongation, with the ideal target being approximately 0.1–0.2mm axial length change over 12 months.”
Dr Ang-Ngo says patient and parent education plays a significant role in treatment uptake and long-term compliance.
“Children rarely notice the lenslets, but I explain that these small ‘bubbles’ on the lens alter the way light is delivered to the eye and help slow eye growth,” she says.
Patients are monitored closely following treatment initiation.
“We review patients one month after dispense to assess fitting and address any concerns,”
“They are then monitored at 6 and 12 months using biometry and refraction to track progression.”
Addressing compliance through education
Dr Ang-Ngo says patient and parent compliance remains one of the ongoing challenges in myopia management.
“Compliance depends on families understanding what drives myopia progression,” she says. “That requires time – explaining the process, setting expectations, and discussing what the next steps are if treatment is not effective.”
Education and patient engagement form a key part of the practice’s approach.
“We show families sample lenses so they can physically see and handle them,” she says. “We provide as much information as needed for them to feel comfortable and reassured.”
Clear communication around therapeutic wear time is also essential.
“Patients need to understand the amount of wear time required to achieve a therapeutic effect,” Dr Ang-Ngo says.
Looking ahead, she believes earlier identification of pre-myopes will play a critical role in myopia management.
“The greatest opportunity lies in identifying and managing pre-myopes,” she says. “Delaying onset in younger children, particularly those under 12, could significantly reduce the risk of faster progression, higher myopia, and long-term ocular complications.”
She notes that emerging evidence around spectacle options to manage pre-myopia is encouraging.
This approach aligns with increasing research focus from the IMI on pre-myopia as a key window for intervention.
New and emerging myopia solutions
Dr Ang-Ngo describes Stellest 2.0, as an exciting addition to the evolving myopia management landscape. A clinical trial has shown that with Essilor Stellest 2.0 lenses, eye growth in myopic children was 1.88 times slower than with the previous generation.1
“Stellest 2.0 has shown very promising efficacy outcomes in the clinical studies to date,” she says. “It may be an option for younger children, faster progressors, and those with higher myopia risk factors.”
She says early clinical experiences have been encouraging.
“Initial reports from our first cohort of patients reported 100% adaptation to the lens,” Dr Ang-Ngo says.
She also highlights the potential role of wearable technologies in supporting behavioural modification.
“AI-enabled glasses that monitor wearing time and working distance are another interesting development,” she says.
For Dr Ang-Ngo, modern myopia management requires a fundamentally different clinical mindset.
“We’re no longer simply correcting refractive error,” she says. “We’re actively managing the growth of the eye.”
As Myopia Awareness Week 2026 highlights, the future of myopia management is shifting towards earlier intervention, objective monitoring, and myopia management treatment strategies, with clinicians increasingly focused not only on correcting vision, but on protecting long-term ocular health and reducing the lifelong impact of myopia progression.
- Clinical decisions should be made by an eyecare professional following individual assessment. Treatment suitability and outcomes may vary depending on the patient’s clinical circumstances and compliance.
References:
^ highly aspherical lenslet targets
1.Raveendran RN, et al. Effect of increased power and asphericity of highly aspherical lenslets on myopia control efficacy: a contralateral crossover study. Transl Vis Sci Technol. 2025;14(11):9.
