The need to address the myopia pandemic: summary report of the global myopia public health summit 2024.

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes myopia as a significant public health concern, as its prevalence has been rising at an alarming rate worldwide. In the WHO's Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Avoidable Blindness and Visual Impairment 2014-2019, myopia has already been identified as a major target for action. However, the attention paid and measures taken to treat this target is significantly diverse across the globe. This report presents the summary of the Global Myopia Public Health Summit jointly organized by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), the Asia Optometric Congress (AOC), and Aier Eye Hospital Group in September 2024. The summit centered on the public health, clinical challenges, and practical barriers faced in different regions of the world, along with strategic recommendations for myopia prevention and control. The summit has concluded: (1) although myopia prevalence is rising globally, population-based data remain limited in many regions; (2) common challenges such as limited awareness of myopia, the high cost of interventions, and the lack of continuing education for practitioners should be addressed; (3) while effective interventions are crucial for controlling myopia, their cost-effectiveness needs to be evaluated both at the individual and societal levels; (4) countries like China, where government-led initiatives have integrated school vision screening, reduction of education burden, compulsory increase of outdoor activities, and advocacy for eye health awareness, offer valuable experience and lessons for other countries or regions facing similar myopia epidemics.