Taking the long view on myopia
Almost three out of every five local children and teenagers are nearsighted, well above the national average. In an attempt to mitigate the situation, the local health authority has issued a guidance on eye tests and treatment, Shanghai Health Commission said on Friday.
Previously, there were no standards on screening of primary and middle school students and results varied across regions.
“To regulate our practice, we refered to the World Health Organization standards,”said Dr Zou Haidong, vice president of the Shanghai Eye Disease Prevention and Control Center, one of the standard conductors. “The guidance covers qualifications of medical staff, equipment, facilities, screening and suggestions for intervention.”
About 57 percent of local young people are myopic, 3 percentage points high than the national level. About 8.4 percent of children aged 6 have myopia, which affects 35.5 percent of primary school students, 77.2 percent of middle school students and 84.4 percent of high school students.