GOLDEN, Colo.—Mexico’s parliament made major strides in health care reform with the modification of Article 79 of its health act to include optometry in the list of health professions that requires a university degree in order to practice. The amendment, which will apply to new graduates, solidifies the importance of optometry and the eyecare industry in Mexico, a country with a high percentage of visual impairment.

“This is a significant achievement, which confirms the important role that optometrists play as the first point of contact for primary eyecare as recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and in many countries across the world,” said Susan Cooper, president of World Council of Optometry. “We would like to congratulate Mexican Association of Faculties, Schools, Colleges and Boards of Optometry, and all those in Mexico and across the world who helped to achieve this important outcome.”

In Mexico, visual impairment is the second most frequently occurring disability in the country, according to the Mexican Institute of Geography and Statistics. With an estimated 43 percent of the population needing optometric services, Mexico would require approximately 12,000 optometrists to fulfill the country’s demand. Currently, about 400 optometrists graduate from the 15 universities offering the optometry degree each year.

“Although much is still required, this change in the law should have a significant impact on elevating the quality of optometric education and practice in Mexico,” said Juan Carlos Aragon, global chairman of Optometry Giving Sight. “I am convinced that, over time, the provision of primary eyecare will extend throughout the country to benefit the entire Mexican population.”

The World Council of Optometry and Optometry Giving Sight have been supporting Mexican optometry through advocacy and by promoting the development of human resources. Southern Mexico, which is one of the country’s most deprived regions, has the support of both organizations who are also members of a coalition pushing for the establishment of the region’s first school of optometry.