On September 17, 2024, Prevent Blindness released a statement on the latest myopia report from The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The report "Myopia: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment of an Increasingly Common Disease" emphasizes the public health impact of myopia, including education and individuals' lifelong potential. It recommends that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services collaborate with state education departments to ensure vision screenings for children before first grade and comprehensive eye exams when needed.
The report cites evidence that suggests half of the global population will be nearsighted by 2050. That's twice the incidence reported in 2000. Other evidence notes that greater increases could occur in minority populations. Although prevalence is clearly high, the exact estimate will depend on the definition of myopia, how myopia is measured, and at what age it is measured, the investigators note.
The Early Detection of Vision Impairments for Children Act works in conjunction with the report's findings, and both the report and this recently introduced legislation are supported by many of the same organizations, including Prevent Blindness.
The report also calls for consistent data gathering from both the CDC and the WHO.
