The trend is not simply due to a rising global population: the trend, outside of any changes to population, is growing. The number of people expected to suffer from with vision loss due to myopia is expected to increase seven-fold from 2000 to 2050. In addition, myopia is expected to become a leading cause of permanent blindness worldwide.
Myopia (or “short-sightedness”) describes a condition of the eye where the light that enters no longer focuses directly onto the retina, and instead falls in front of it. This causes the image seen at distance to be out of focus. The same effect does not occur when a person looks at an object close to them.
The reason for the change in trend is said, by the researchers based at the Brien Holden Vision Institute, to be environmental, together with social changes, that are leading to many people spending far less time outdoors and more time on near work activities, such as staring into computer screens.
Based on the data, drawn from a review of various studies and collected medical records, governments need to plan for comprehensive eye care to prepare for more and more eye-related health cases. This includes periodic examinations by a optometrist or ophthalmologist, starting in childhood.
The data has been compiled and reviewed in the journal Ophthalmology, with the research paper titled “Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050.”
