Healthy Harold partners with OPSM to teach children about eye health and myopia

Much loved Australian children’s icon, Healthy Harold, has partnered with OPSM to teach children about eye health and myopia – the condition commonly known as being “short sighted”. 

The partnership aims to address the need for early and regular eye health checks in children to help combat common eye conditions affecting one in five Australian children. 

Many of those children who experience eye problems have some form of myopia, which is the biggest eye health issue affecting children today. It is estimated that by 2050, myopia will affect more than 50 per cent of the world’s population. 

To help raise awareness, Healthy Harold will wear glasses for the first time, in a bid to educate parents and kids on the issue of myopia – and share tips and advice to help curb the cause.

OPSM Vice President Sales & Operations, Carl James said the partnership with Healthy Harold will help to spread the word about children’s eye health. 

When it comes to myopia, he said, “early detection is crucial for correction, and if undetected, it can lead to further, more serious eye damage in later life”.

Common signs that children may be struggling with myopia include: 

• distance vision becoming blurred; 
• moving closer to the TV; 
• reduced performance at school; 
• complaints of headaches;
• tired eyes; and, 
• squinting eyes.

Commenting on the partnership, Life Education CEO Kellie Sloane said the impact of screen time on children’s eyesight has become “a big issue”, adding that she hoped Healthy Harold’s glasses would encourage Australian children to look after their eye health. 

Life Education and OPSM’s partnership commenced 28 September For further information, visit lifeeducation.org.au and OPSM.com.au.