Retina South Africa is deeply concerned about the dramatic increase in myopia in children and the risk of permanent damage to their eyes. Although devices (smartphones, tablets, computers, TVs) are hugely beneficial, they also have a downside.

In keeping with the international theme for the year, Love Your Eyes – Kids, Retina South Africa in conjunction with the South African Optometric Association is stressing the need for timely interventions, including limiting screen time, and spending at least 2 hours outdoors each day.

MYOPIA/SHORTSIGHTEDNESS

Myopia, or shortsightedness is a common eye-focusing disease whereby objects far away appear blurry and out of focus.  Childhood myopia is more significant than just needing regular spectacles to correct blurry vision as it typically gets worse as they get older resulting in increasingly blurry vision, more frequent changes in their spectacle prescription and an increased risk of eye diseases in adulthood.

Myopia is caused by the eyes growing too quickly and too long compared to the normal steady growth rate until the teenage years. This ongoing myopia deterioration is called myopia progression and leads to stretching of the retina, the light sensitive layer at the back of the eye.  A stretched retina, even in small amounts, increases the risk of eye diseases and vision impairment such as myopic maculopathy, retinal detachment, and cataracts – not only in children, but even in later life.

The incidence of myopia is rising significantly as lifestyles change, as children take part in more near-work activities like using digital devices, studying, reading, and spending less time outdoors.  Hereditary, behavioural and environmental factors also play a part.  Myopia is a growing problem causing global concern.  An estimated 5 billion people, or half of the global population, could be affected by myopia by the year 2050.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2015 declared that “myopia and high myopia are increasing globally at an alarming rate, with significant increases in the risks for vision impairment from pathologic conditions associated with high myopia”.  In response to this the World Council of Optometry has released a resolution that Myopia Management should be offered as a standard of care to all myopic children, making a shift from not only correcting vision, but also providing evidence-based intervention that slow the progression of myopia in childhood.

This intervention is the clinical care of children with myopia and aims to apply specific treatments to slow the excessive eye growth in a myopic child, to a more normal expected rate of eye growth in childhood. This would result in better vision and quality of life for children, including less frequent changes in their prescription and less blurry vision in between eye examinations.  This would reduce the risks of eye diseases associated with myopia across a child’s lifetime and the risk of visual impairment in adulthood. Research shows that by reducing the final level of myopia by only 1 diopter reduces the lifetime risk of myopic maculopathy by 40%.

Results from research on myopia management, conducted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University showed that myopia progression can be slowed down in a child using special spectacle lenses. These lenses are an innovative treatment solution that provides clear vision, while simultaneously slowing down myopia progression in an easy, safe, effective and non-invasive way.

Retina South Africa and the South African Optometric Association suggest that World Retina Day – Saturday the 28^th September be a screen free day with at least 2 hours outside for play and activities for both children and adults.

To download a copy here World Retina Week Press Release

For Interviews:

Contact Mariza Jurgens
Deputy Chair Retina South Africa
Member of the WHO board on accessibility
Google Women in in Tech Ambassador
South African National Council of the Blind, MC
Mariza@retinasa.org.za
Mobile Number 0665813948

Karen Denton 
Head or Education and Awareness
E: karen@retinasa.org.za
Cell: 081311255

Distributed by: Retina South Africa  NPO 003- 184
Headoffice@retinasa.org.za
Tel: 011 450 1181/0860 59 59 59 (SA Only)
www.retinasa.org.za