Image: Professor Steven Dakin
SOVS Head of School Professor Steven Dakin has been raising awareness of New Zealand’s issue with eye health inequity. Steven was featured in (and on the cover of) the June UniNews magazine, and was interviewed by Kathryn Ryan from Radio New Zealand on 26 June.
Steven is convinced that “the most important research in the School of Optometry and Vision Science is related to eye health inequity. Innovation in treatment is, of course, very important, but right now our priority needs to be getting the treatments we already have out to people everywhere in Aotearoa New Zealand. This isn’t always happening”.
For example, SOVS research has uncovered that approximately one in 10 children in New Zealand who need glasses are not getting them due to a lack of comprehensive vision screening for primary school children. To address this need, Steven is advocating for a nationwide mobile school screening programme to address correctable vision problems in youth.
Read the article here.
Listen to the interview here.