CooperVision Highlights Children’s Eye Health with the Awareness Campaign “Seeing is Learning”
Because good vision is essential for the emotional, intellectual, and physical development of children, CooperVision has launched the “Seeing is Learning” campaign.
Our eyes open up the world to us – and this is especially important for children. Ninety percent of all information from the environment is received through this sensory organ and processed by the brain.¹
With the campaign CooperVision will draw throughout 2026 attention to children’s eye health across various media channels and raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of the globally increasing condition of nearsightedness (myopia).
In Germany, about one in five primary school children is nearsighted.² The trend is rising – and not just locally, but worldwide. According to projections, every second child born today could become nearsighted during their lifetime.*³ Despite these alarming figures, children’s vision problems are often detected and treated far too late. Yet untreated myopia can affect a child’s overall development, academic performance, sports activities, and ultimately their quality of life.⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹
Studies also show that environmental factors such as excessive near work (e.g., reading or screen time) and too little time outdoors contribute to the development of myopia.¹⁰ However, many parents have never been informed about typical symptoms of nearsightedness, possible prevention strategies, or treatment options.
“It is particularly important, given the rapidly increasing number of nearsighted young people, that this topic receives more attention in public health education,” explains Dr. Peter Kaupke, ophthalmologist in Blankenese, Hamburg. The eye specialist has been deeply involved in pediatric ophthalmology for more than 30 years and knows how crucial early diagnosis and treatment are: “Around 99 percent of parents do not know that myopia can not only be corrected but its progression can be slowed down or even completely stopped.”
This is exactly where the “Seeing is Learning” campaign comes in, because CooperVision has developed MiSight® 1 day – a contact lens that not only corrects nearsightedness but can also slow down the elongation of the eye. It’s an alternative to glasses that is suitable for children as young as eight years old and helps to manage the progression of myopia.
“With the ‘Seeing is Learning’ campaign, we want to ensure that children’s eye health receives greater attention in society. To achieve this, we will actively raise awareness about prevention, early care, treatment options, and the benefits of myopia management through various channels, and we will also provide informational materials for key multipliers,” explains Dr. Ole Roßbach, Head of Marketing & Professional Affairs at CooperVision DACH. He adds: “Early myopia management with the MiSight® 1 day daily disposable lens not only slows down and corrects the progression of nearsightedness. It also gives children the freedom to see clearly at school and during leisure activities, enjoy life to the fullest, and continue developing—without the limitations that glasses can sometimes bring. Especially in everyday school life, this means a clear view of the board, no slipping frames during sports, and more freedom of movement while playing—because when running around or playing ball games without sports glasses, regular glasses can quickly become a safety risk. With contact lenses, children are simply safer and freer.”
As part of the campaign, various communication measures will be implemented to inform and engage parents and professionals comprehensively. These include social media campaigns, advertisements, radio PR, and press and public relations activities. For optical retailers, a new brochure for parents will be available during the course of next year. In addition, the contact lens manufacturer will collaborate with family-oriented networks and initiatives to reach parents where they seek information. The measures include, among others:
- Educational content and everyday tips shared via digital channels and community platforms
- Targeted social media activities with interactive formats for parents
- Informational materials for multipliers such as educators and healthcare professionals
References:
1 Universität Münster, Augen eröffnen uns die Welt, Newsportal Dezember 2023, online verfügbar unter: https://www.uni-muenst...mdid=13766 [uni-muenster.de]
2 Den Durchblick behalten - Kurzsichtigkeit bremsen | Augenärzte informieren: Myopie entsteht meist in der Kindheit,Prof. Bertram, 1. Vorsitzender des Berufsverbands der Augenärzte Deutschlands (BVA) - 05/2019
3 Holden B A etal. Globale Prävalenz von Myopie und hoher Myopie und zeitliche Trends von 2000 bis 2050. Ophthalmology. 2016; 123(5): 1036-1042.
4 Ma X, Zhou Z, Yi H, Pang X, Shi Y, Chen Q, Meltzer ME, le Cessie S, He M, Rozelle S, Liu Y, Congdon N. Effect of providing free glasses on children's educational outcomes in China: cluster randomized controlled trial. BMJ. 2014 Sep 23;349:g5740.
5 Jan C, Li S, Kang M, et al. Association of visual acuity with educational outcomes: a prospective cohort study. British Journal of Ophthalmology 2019;103:1666-1671.
6 Yadav R, et al. Vision Related Quality of Life, Sports Activities and Academic Performance Among Myopic School Going children: A Cross Sectional Study. African Journal of Biomedical Research 2024; 27(1S), 2228-2231.
7 Sankaridurg P, Tahhan N, Kandel H, et al. IMI Impact of myopia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2021;62(5):2. pg 6.
8 Shams N, Mobaraki H, Kamali M, Jafarzadehpour E. Comparison of quality of life between myopic patients with spectacles and contact lenses, and patients who have undergone refractive surgery. J Curr Ophthalmol. 2015 Nov 17;27(1-2):32-6.
9 Pan C-W, Ramamurthy D & Saw S-M. Worldwide prevalence and risk factors for myopia. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2012, 32, 3-16.
10 Berufsverband der Augenärzte Deutschland e.V. Den Durchblick behalten – Kurzsichtigkeit bremsen, verfügbar unter: https://augeninfo.de/cms/fileadmin/user_upload/PM_Den_Durchblick_behalten.pdf [augeninfo.de]
*Ausgehend von der Erwartung, dass bis 2050 mehr als 50 % der Weltbevölkerung von Kurzsichtigkeit betroffen sein werden.
