Bridging the Divide: Strategies to Improve Equitable Access to Quality Eyecare Services Globally Through Collaborative Optometric Education.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Bridging the Divide: Strategies to Improve Equitable Access to Quality Eyecare Services Globally Through Collaborative Optometric Education.
Authors:	Wright, Parres¹, van Staden, Diane²
Source:	Optometric Education. Fall2025, Vol. 51 Issue 1, p15-21. 7p.
Subject Terms:	Optometry education, Collaborative learning, Health equity, World health, Low-income countries, Vision disorders, Eye care
Abstract:	There is an urgent public health mandate facing the profession of optometry. The 2030 In Sight call to action demands that vision be recognized as fundamental economic, social and developmental issue, and as part of this, proposes leveraging educational settings in the strategy to end avoidable sight loss. Despite advancements in optometric education and services globally, inequities in access to quality eye care persist both within and between countries. Variable training standards and scopes of practice across the world also contribute to disparities in access to quality care; further exacerbated by inequitable access to advanced technologies that promote early diagnosis and treatment and mostly affects institutions in low- and middle-income countries. Collaborative education models between countries presents a possible solution to addressing these variable resource and training standards, as well as promoting shared learning. This paper argues that exploring collaborative teaching and learning opportunities between institutions in contextually differently regions of the world could help support global goals in respect of achieving equitable access to high-quality eye care and reducing the unnecessary causes of vision impairment or loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Education Research Complete

Description
Abstract:	There is an urgent public health mandate facing the profession of optometry. The 2030 In Sight call to action demands that vision be recognized as fundamental economic, social and developmental issue, and as part of this, proposes leveraging educational settings in the strategy to end avoidable sight loss. Despite advancements in optometric education and services globally, inequities in access to quality eye care persist both within and between countries. Variable training standards and scopes of practice across the world also contribute to disparities in access to quality care; further exacerbated by inequitable access to advanced technologies that promote early diagnosis and treatment and mostly affects institutions in low- and middle-income countries. Collaborative education models between countries presents a possible solution to addressing these variable resource and training standards, as well as promoting shared learning. This paper argues that exploring collaborative teaching and learning opportunities between institutions in contextually differently regions of the world could help support global goals in respect of achieving equitable access to high-quality eye care and reducing the unnecessary causes of vision impairment or loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	15214230