Be he@lthy, be mobile: a toolkit on how to implement MyopiaEd

Book excerpt: Myopia represents an important public health issue in the 21st century, affecting an estimated 2.6 billion people in 2020. In the context of the Be He@lthy Be Mobile initiative, the World Health Organization and the International Telecommunication Union have developed the MyopiaEd initiative. The initiative aims to support policy- and decision-makers and implementers to develop, implement and monitor large scale mHealth initiatives targeting (i) improving awareness and health literacy of the importance of regular eye examinations and spectacle compliance amongst children and adults, and (ii) supporting behaviour change that contributes to delay the age of onset, and slow the progression of myopia, the two main predictors of developing high degrees of myopia (and its associated complications) in later life. This toolkit includes evidence-based message libraries for a range of population end-user groups, along with operational guidance and resources to support implementation of the initiative.