China Turns to School Reform to Control the Myopia Epidemic: A Narrative Review

Myopia is now a major public health issue in parts of East and Southeast Asia, including mainland China. In this region, around 80% of students completing 12 years of school education are now myopic, and from 10% to 20% have high myopia in excess of -6D. Interventions to prevent the onset of myopia based on increasing time outdoors have now been implemented at a system-wide scale in Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and Singapore with some success, but the prevalence of myopia still remains high by international standards. In mainland China, until recently, myopia prevention was largely based on eye exercises, but these have not been sufficient to prevent an epidemic. Control of myopia progression with atropine eye drops has been widely practiced in Singapore and Taiwan, with recent practice concentrating on low-dose concentrations. Orthokeratology has also been widely used across the region. Recent research has produced both contact and spectacle lenses that slow myopia progression by imposing myopic defocus. The new approaches to myopia control are ready for systematic use, which may be facilitated by system-wide screening and referral. In recent years, renewed emphasis has been placed on the prevention of myopia in mainland China by China’s President Xi Jinping. In addition to making use of all the measures outlined above, China now seems to be aiming for major reforms to schooling, reducing educational pressures, particularly in the early school years, freeing more time for outdoor play and learning. These new initiatives may be crucial to myopia prevention and control.