On the occasion of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the education of optometrists in Norway, I would like to congratulate everyone who has worked for what we can see today as Norwegian optometry education at an internationally recognized high level. The fact that the optometry education is now at university level is very good. Particular attention should be paid to all those people along the way who very early on saw the strategic importance of working to raise the level of the qualification.

During my 22 years as president of the Swedish Optometric Association, I often had the privilege of meeting and collaborating with Norway’s optometry education leaders and the Norwegian Optometric Association. From a Swedish perspective, it was always beneficial at these meetings to learn the Norwegian strategic perspective on future education at a high level.

For Norway, it is of great value that so many highly qualified optometrists are now active in clinical practice. This because we in the optometry profession internationally have managed to draw attention to the importance of good eye health. In this, optometrists have a natural and important role in society.

For the past two years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has launched WHO’s World Report on Vision. The report points out the enormous number of visually impaired people around the world. Such a number demands an immense number of well-trained eye health professionals, and well thought-through and quality assured routines to work for patient’s best.

United Nations, UN, has through its General Assembly Adopted a Resolutions Aimed at Ensuring Global Access to Eye Care.

By highlighting the importance of eye health for everyone in both the WHO and the UN, countries must work to resolve the issues internationally. Here, well-trained optometrists are a prerequisite, and Norwegian optometry education is a good and strategically well-thought-out example on how to meet society’s needs.

With best wishes for continued progress in the development of the education for optometrists.

Paul Folkesson

President (2019 – 2021)

World Council of Optometry, WCO, St Louis, USA

www.worldcouncilofoptometry.info

President (2014 – 2016)

European Council of Optometry and Optics, ECOO, Brussels, Belgium   

www.ecoo.info   

President and CEO (1996 – 2018)

Swedish Optometric Association, Stockholm, Sweden 

www.optikerforbundet.se