MYOPIA

MYOPIA

**

(Preventive measures): **

51.

Mr Zainudin Nordin asked the Minister for Health (a) whether myopia is on the rise among young and adult Singaporeans; (b) if so, what are his Ministry's plans to address this; and (c) whether his Ministry will consider working with childcare and pre-school providers to introduce preventive measures.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Myopia is a major public health problem here. The prevalence rate seems to have stabilised in the last five years, but it is high in absolute terms. About 30% of our Primary 1 students and two in three Primary 6 students have myopia. By the time they are 18, 80% of them are myopic.

Myopia usually develops and progresses in childhood, but stabilises when one enters adulthood. Our preventive efforts therefore focus on children.

In 2001, the Health Promotion Board (HPB) spearheaded the National Myopia Prevention Programme, in partnership with MOE and MCYS. The aim is to delay the onset and reduce the progression of myopia in children. The prevention strategies include public education targeted at parents, teachers and children to inculcate good eye care habits such as adopting correct posture when reading, ensuring adequate lighting and having regular outdoor activity. We also introduced a vision screening programme in primary and secondary schools and a spectacles fund for needy children.

HPB works closely with kindergartens and childcare centres to extend vision screening to pre-schoolers. The aim is to identify children with early myopia and "lazy eye" (ambylopia). About one in seven pre-schoolers has defective vision. They are referred to refraction clinics in our polyclinics for further assessment and management. For children with "lazy eye" condition, early treatment can prevent the development of functional blindness.

While we will press on with our preventive efforts, we recognise that bringing down myopia rates will not be easy. Thus far, we are not aware of any country that has succeeded in reducing its myopia prevalence rate.

Column: 1143