Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore Eye Research Institute And Johnson & Johnson Vision Set Sights On Halting Global Myopia Epidemic - Seite 2

According to Professor Wong Tien Yin, Medical Director at the SNEC, the collaboration will bring together the right mix of resources, clinical and scientific experience, and intellect to create a leading centre for myopia research, clinical care and education practices designed to contribute substantially to regional and global efforts to fight the condition. "SNEC is honored to be working with collaborators coming together to address the growing burden of myopia," Professor Wong said. "By leveraging the diverse strengths of our clinicians, clinician scientists and strategic partners to establish new disease frameworks and share this knowledge across world communities to help eradicate myopia."

Myopia is the number one eye defect in the world.^1,2 Myopia increases risk of retinal degeneration and detachment, cataracts and glaucoma. Unchecked, it will become the leading cause of irreversible vision impairment and blindness.¹ The condition occurs when the eyeball becomes elongated due to environmental and genetic factors.⁴ Few modalities are currently approved by regulatory bodies to control myopia.

Significant Burden Projected Worldwide, With Biggest Impact in Asia

• Five billion people globally are expected to have myopia by 2050.¹ 
• Western Europe, Central Europe and Eastern Europe are expected to be significantly impacted with the prevalence of myopia expected to grow to 56%, 54^% and 50% respectively by 2050.¹
• In North Africa and the Middle East prevalence is predicted to be 52.2%.¹⁰
• East Asia and Singapore will shoulder the greatest impact, with current prevalence rates among young people as high as 80 to 97 percent concentrated in urban areas.⁵
• Children are most vulnerable. For example, in China, among children ages six to 18, myopia prevalence rises from less than 10 to 80 percent.⁶ Children who go on to develop high myopia are at a high risk for a lifetime of severe eye disease and permanent vision loss.⁷
• In Singapore, one in two children develop myopia by the age of 12⁸, and 75 percent of teenagers are myopic and rely on glasses.⁹
• Uncorrected distance refractive errors, largely caused by myopia, are already estimated to cost global healthcare systems US$202 billion annually¹ and this cost will rise exponentially with increased prevalence and severity of myopia in coming decades.
• In Singapore alone, the annual direct cost of optical correction of myopia for Singaporeans has been estimated at US$755 million (S$1.04 billion)._¹⁰

Due to the complexity and scale of myopia, halting the epidemic will require a multidisciplinary approach that encompasses novel clinical research as well as innovations in education and clinical care. SNEC, SERI and Johnson & Johnson Vision intend to build on these efforts and convene other stakeholders to support broad-based strategies.