Half the world to be short-sighted by 2050

Half the world’s population (nearly 5 billion) will be short-sighted (myopic) by 2050, with up to one-fifth of them (1 billion) at a significantly increased risk of blindness if current trends continue, says a study published in the journal Ophthalmology this week.

• 5 billion to be short-sighted (myopic) by the year 2050
• One in ten at risk of blindness
• Myopia to become a leading cause of permanent blindness worldwide
• Parents advised to have children’s eyes checked regularly, improve time outdoors and moderate time on near based activities including electronic devices

Myopia, also known as ‘short-sightedness’ or ‘near-sightedness’, causes people to have difficulty seeing distant objects clearly. It’s estimated that there are currently 2 billion myopic people in the world, a figure that is growing rapidly.

Read the paper here: http://www.aaojournal.org/article/S0161-6420%2816%2900025-7/fulltext

Read more here: http://brienholdenvision.org/media-centre/latest-news/1062-half-the-world-to-be-short-sighted-by-2050.html