Lok Sabha Question No. 201 (STARRED), answered on 2016-03-11
Subject: Prevention From Myopia
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 201 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 11 TH MARCH, 2016

## PREVENTION FROM MYOP IA

## *201. SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

## DR. SUNIL BALIRAM GAIKWAD:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether as  per  recent  research,  half  of  the  world's  population  is  likel affected by myopia (short - sightedness) by 2050, leading to risk of blindness, if the details therof;
- (b) whether the cases of myopia has increased manifolds since 2000, in India if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor; and
- (c)  the  preventive  steps  taken/  proposed  to  be  taken  by  the  Government  i regard?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE ( SHRI JAGAT PRAKASH NADDA )

- (a) to ( c):  A statement is laid on the Table of the House

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 201* FOR 11 TH MARCH, 2016

(a)to (c) : A recent research article published in American Academy of Ophthalmology Journal, by Holden e tal , (2016) has predicted that there will be 4,758 million people wi myopia (49.8% of the world population) and 938 million people with high myopia (9 of the world population) by 2050. This publication is an extrapolation of published dat from large number of c ountries including countries with high prevalence of myopia li Singapore, Korea, Taiwan and China. These countries have a high prevalence of myo due to environmental factors particularly lifestyle changes, such as decreased ti outdoors  and  inc reased  activities  including  seeing  objects  at  a  close  distance  lik laptops, computers and video games and longer reading hours. ICMR has been asked the Government to examine this publication.

However, studies conducted in school going children i n Delhi School s,have shown an  increase  in  the  prevalence  of  myopia  of  5.7  %  over  a  period  of  15  years. expected to be lower in rural areas. These studies have shown that similar lifesty are responsible for this increase.

Various  initia ves  have  been  taken under  National  Programme  for  Control  of Blindness (NPCB) and Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) under National Health Missiontoaddress theproblemof myopia , which include

- i. Screening  of  school  age  group  children  for  detection  of refractive  errors including myopia and providing free spectacles to them under NPCB. As per the  data  of  last  three  years  under  NPCB,  8.72  crore  school  children screened in the country, out of which 31 lakh children (3.9 %) were found to have refractive errors.
- ii. Screening of children for vision impairment under Rashtriya Bal Swasth Karykram  (RBSK).  This  child  health  screening  and  early  interventio services  cover  30  common  health  conditions  for  early  detect ion,  free treatment and management including vision impairment, which also include myopia.
- iii. Training  of  school  teachers  to  identify  refractive  errors  and  common ailments among school children .
- iv. Training  of  eye  surgeons  in  various  eye  specialties  includi ng  paediatric ophthalmology to enhance skill level .
- v. Undertaking IEC activities to create awareness about preventive measures for eye diseases including myopia .
- vi. Setting up of paediatric ophthalmology units and low vision units at Me Colleges and Regio nal Institutes of Ophthalmology.