Optometry in Nepal: a historical perspective

Optometry education in Nepal began in 1998 in collaboration with the University of Auckland, New Zealand, with the primary objective of addressing the unmet needs of eye health and vision care. Over the last two decades, the development of optometry education has seen significant progress, including a shift from a three-year to a four-year curriculum, an increase in the uptake of students, and recent launches of two additional bachelor's degree and a master's degree programmes. Complementary to the educational progress, several professional advances have occurred in the intervening years. These include the formation of the Nepalese Association of Optometrists that oversees the professional development and the rights, welfare, security, and protection of Optometrists, memberships into the World Council of optometry and the Asia Pacific Council of optometry, integration of the profession into the governmental regulatory body Nepal Health Professional Council, and formulation of the code of ethics and minimum requirements for a Bachelor's level University degree in optometry. This article briefly presents the historical events leading to the establishment of optometry in Nepal and the evolution of the program in the intervening years.