Canada has taken an important step forward for eye health

In June 2026, the Government of Canada released the National Strategy for Eye Care, the first national strategy of its kind in Canada. It provides a shared vision for improving eye health and eye care across the country, including the prevention and treatment of eye disease, access to care, vision rehabilitation, research and innovation.

At Ocumel Canada, we were excited to see eye health receive this kind of national attention.

Most of us don't spend much time thinking about how eye care is organized in Canada. We book an eye exam, see an eye care professional when something doesn't seem right, or get referred to a specialist when we need one.

Behind those individual experiences, however, is a much bigger picture: how Canadians learn about eye health, how easily they can access care, how quickly they reach the right specialist, and what support is available if their vision changes.

It identifies five priority areas for improving eye health and eye care in Canada:

1. Building stronger partnerships and breaking down silos so that people and organizations involved in eye care can work better together.

2. Raising awareness about eye health, prevention, early detection and the importance of seeking appropriate care.

3. Connecting Canadians with the resources they need, including care, information and support.

4. Turning data into action by improving how Canada collects and uses information about eye health.

5. Embracing new technologies and innovative solutions that could improve prevention, diagnosis, treatment and access to care.

Together, these priorities recognize that good eye care is about more than treating an eye condition. It also means helping people understand their eye health and ensuring they can find and access the care and support they need.

Where Does Ocular Melanoma Fit?

Ocular melanoma is a rare cancer, but many of the priorities identified in the Strategy are very familiar to our community.

Awareness and early detection matter. Access to appropriate eye care matters. And for someone diagnosed with ocular melanoma, reaching the right specialists and care matters. And for people who must travel to access specialized care, where you live can have a significant impact on your experience.

The Strategy recognizes many of these challenges, including differences in access to eye care across Canada and the additional barriers that can affect people living in rural, remote and northern communities.

It also recognizes something particularly important to Ocumel Canada: the value of lived experience.

One of the principles guiding the Strategy is "Nothing About Us, Without Us," recognizing the importance of meaningfully engaging people who are blind, partially sighted or have lived experience of vision loss in shaping decisions and policy.

For a rare cancer community, patient and caregiver voices can be especially valuable. Ocular melanoma may affect a relatively small number of Canadians each year, but those individuals and families have experiences that can help inform conversations about awareness, diagnosis, access to specialized care, support and life after treatment.

Making Room for Rare Eye Diseases and Eye Cancers

Much of the National Strategy understandably focuses on common causes of vision loss and eye disease in Canada, including cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

But the broader vision of the Strategy creates an important opportunity to consider Canada's many less common eye conditions as this work moves forward.

For Ocumel Canada, that includes ensuring ocular melanoma and other rare eye diseases and eye cancers remain part of the conversation.

Better awareness can help Canadians understand the importance of their eye health. Stronger connections between health professionals can help people reach the appropriate care. Better information and data can help us understand where gaps exist. And including people with lived experience can help ensure that policies and programs reflect what patients and families actually need.

What Happens Next?

The release of the National Strategy for Eye Care is a beginning, not an end.

The next stage will include developing an implementation plan to help turn its priorities into action. The Strategy is also intended to encourage collaboration among governments, eye care professionals, researchers, health organizations, community groups and people with lived experience.

Ocumel Canada welcomes Canada's first National Strategy for Eye Care and the recognition that improving eye health requires people and organizations across the country to work together.

As this work continues, we look forward to opportunities to contribute the perspectives of Canadians affected by ocular melanoma and to help ensure that rare eye diseases and eye cancers are part of Canada's evolving eye health conversation.

Learn more: Read the Government of Canada's National Strategy for Eye Care and explore its five priorities for improving eye health and eye care across Canada.