One in five Australian children have an undetected vision problem and more and more young people are being diagnosed with myopia, commonly called short-sightedness, Optometry Australia reports.

As World Sight Day on October 8 approaches, Life Education and its loveable giraffe known to generations of Dubbo school students has partnered with eye care retailer OPSM to teach families about the importance of early and regular eye health checks for kids to curb the concern.

"We believe that partnering with a well-known character like Healthy Harold, will help us spread the word about the importance of eye health in children, particularly when it comes to myopia," OPSM sales and operations vice president Carl James said.

"Myopia, commonly known as short-sightedness, is an eye condition which affects a child's ability to see distant objects.

"OPSM stresses that early detection is crucial for correction, and if undetected, it can lead to further, more serious eye damage in later life.

"This October we want to highlight the issue to local residents across Dubbo to help keep our kids' eyes in tip-top condition and catch and correct any problems early."

There are a number of signs to look out for in a child including distance vision becoming blurred, moving closer to the TV, reduced performance at school, complaints of headaches, tired and squinting eyes.

Life Education chief executive officer Kellie Sloane said Life Education was a non-profit organisation that empowered young people to make safer and healthier choices through education.

"We're very excited to be partnering with OPSM to help raise awareness of the importance of looking after your eyesight, especially when screen time has become such a big issue in today's society," she said.

"And Healthy Harold, our mascot, will help us encourage Dubbo kids to look after their eye health."