Welcome to HCAPS's Myopia Week of Action!

 

Get ready to take action! This week (August 18-24, 2025), HCAPS is holding its official Myopia Week of Action with multiple ways you can get involved, influence lawmakers, and make a difference in your community. The Myopia Week of Action aims to increase awareness about the growing prevalence of myopia and to highlight the importance of early detection and comprehensive eye exams for effective disease management.

Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a common vision disorder that is rapidly increasing in prevalence among children. Once considered an inconvenience, myopia is now seen as a serious eye health issue that can increase the risk of vision-threatening conditions later in life. HCAPS has been actively engaged in myopia advocacy, including sponsoring a 2024 study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), which emphasized the need for a coordinated national approach to address this public health challenge. And our work continues this week as we:

  • Send letters to every state's Department of Education;
  • Send letters to Secretaries Kennedy and McMahon;
  • Reach out to leading organizations in education and early childhood development;
  • Share op-eds;
  • Contact Congressional staff encouraging them to support HHS language in appropriations; and
  • Highlight a new press release.

But we need your help!

Join advocates from all over the country to make your voice heard. See below for a few quick and easy ways YOU can make a difference. 

Here are several ways to get involved during this week of action: 

Urge Your Member of Congress to Support Myopia Awareness Report Language in FY26 Labor-HHS Bill

During this Myopia Week of Action, the Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety is sending a letter to Congressional staff urging them to support report language in the FY26 Labor-HHS Appropriations bill that urges the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop and implement a public education and awareness campaign focused on:

  • The increasing prevalence and risks of childhood myopia
  • The need for early diagnosis through comprehensive eye exams, not just vision screenings
  • The critical role of eye health in educational success

We encourage you to join us by sending a letter to YOUR member of Congress with just the click of a button here. 

Read Our Op-Eds and Press Release

HCAPS is spreading the word on the dangers of the myopia epidemic and what we can do to help. Read our press release and two op-eds from HCAPS Chairman Dr. David Cockrell, then share these resources with your network!

Read the Op-Eds and Press Release

Share Your Story

Share your story of how myopia has affected you or a patient so that we can show lawmakers the importance of taking the myopia epidemic seriously.

Share your story on the impacts of myopia 

Advocate Toolkit

Help us spread the word on myopia by posting our content on social! You can find quick and easy graphics to share with your friends, family, and co-workers in our advocate toolkit below. 

Follow Us On Social Media

The best way to stay up-to-date on the things impacting patient safety, myopia, and the doctor-patient relationship is by following us on social media. We encourage you to share our message with your networks and engage with us across all three of our social media platforms. 

LinkedIn Instagram X/Twitter

 

Recruit Your Peers and Colleagues

Everyone can make a difference in the fight against myopia. We need as many voices as we can get to influence lawmakers and educate the general public about the impacts of myopia. HCAPS currently has a live recruitment contest so that we can grow our ranks.

Now through the end of the year, the State Affiliate with the most new advocate signups will enter all their advocates, new and existing, into a raffle for a brand new Apple Watch.

Join us in advancing policies that support quality care, vision health, and the essential relationship between doctors and patients. Sign up for HCAPS here!