Singapore is the “myopia capital of the world, with one of the highest levels of myopia worldwide”, delegates to Asia-Pacific Myopia Management Symposium have been told.
More than 20% of Singaporean children are myopic by the age of seven, with that figure rising to more than 80% by the time they reach university, Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) Chief Executive Officer Professor Aung Tin said.
Prof Tin was speaking at the opening of the Symposium, held in Singapore on 11 November.
The conference was a hybrid event, with local delegates attending in-person sessions at the Parkroyal Collection at Marina Bay in Singapore, while others logged into streamed sessions, available in either English or Chinese.
95% of parents regretted their ‘wait and see’ approach after their child’s myopia progressed
The event was held by CooperVision, in collaboration with SNEC and the Singapore Eye Research Institute.
Delegates heard that the growing prevalence of myopia represents a looming healthcare crisis.
If left untreated, myopia can lead to serious sight conditions later in life, such as retinal tears and detachment, myopic maculopathy, cataracts, and glaucoma that can cause permanent vision impairment. This has led to governments and professional bodies issuing standard of care guidelines in recognition of the need for early intervention and control of myopia.
CooperVision Asia-Pacific President Kathy Park said while effective, clinically proven myopia management options exist – such as her company’s MiSight 1 day contact lenses – only a “tiny proportion” of children are treated.
Ms Park said part of the answer was education, with many parents not understanding myopia as a disease, and not prioritising treatment. But she said 95% of parents regretted their ‘wait and see’ approach after their child’s myopia progressed.
Among the scientific highlights were myopia intervention options, the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in myopia, and lessons learned, and results from the world’s longest soft contact lens study for myopia control.
There were also sessions on practice and patient management, which included discussion of evidence-based treatment modalities and common myths in myopia management. A Rapid Case Fire discussed soft contact lenses, orthokeratology and the use of atropine.
