Beholden to the cause

 According to Professor Brien Holden, one billion contact lens wearers worldwide is an achievable target if lenses are developed for all ages and prescriptions. optician reports on his recent lecture to the contact lens industry

Described as 'one of the best in the world at extracting money from the contact lens industry and government', Professor Brien Holden was a fitting recipient of the Association of Contact Lens Manufacturers' 2005 Allan Walker Medal.

Introducing the speaker at the Royal College of Physicians in September, last year's presenter of the inaugural Allan Walker Lecture, Jonathan Walker, said that Professor Holden had so far raised more than £41m to fund research into contact lenses and related areas. Around 130 ACLM guests from the industry and profession gathered to hear Holden's views on whether one billion contact lens wearers worldwide was achievable and how this target might be reached.

Opening his lecture, Holden said that demographics were in the industry's favour. Myopia would affect more than 2.5 billion people by 2020 and 70 per cent of the world's population would require refractive correction. A billion people could be wearing contact lenses but lenses were needed for all ages and all prescriptions.