Page 86 - The Indian Optician Digital Edition March-April 2021

MYOPIA
MANAGEMENT
he European Society of Ophthalmology
(SOE), in collaboration with specialist
Texperts in myopia management, the
International Myopia Institute (IMI), has
released an updated guidance on myopia
management to drive European awareness
of the debilitating ocular condition.
Commenting on the new guidance
review, released on 5 March 2021, Professor
Serge Resnikoff, chair of the IMI, said, “The
dissemination of myopia management
guidance is an important step in
influencing public health policy. With the
coming together of expert bodies like the
European Society of Ophthalmology, and
leading publications such as the European
Journal of Ophthalmology, we will move
faster towards preventing the spread and
progression of myopia across Europe,
where industry experts are fast realising
the dangers of myopia and its impact,
regardless of culture or ethnicity.”
Myopia is not, as some believe, a health
crisis isolated only to East Asia but a global
predicament. Predicted to become the
most common cause of irreversible vision
impairment and blindness worldwide and
in Europe, the prevalence of myopia is
expected to grow from 2.6 billion people in
2020, to 4.9 billion in 2050. The introduction
of and education in myopia control
| MAR-APR 2021 | 82 REPORT
Mar-Apr 2021 SK.indd 35
interventions are urgent, with the European
Society of Ophthalmology recognising
that myopia in Europe is fast becoming
an advanced public health issue. Figures
available show that 45 per cent to 50 per
cent of 25- to 29-year-old Europeans are
already affected.
The new expert review, published in
the European Journal of Ophthalmology,
provides updated guidance in control
measures for reducing myopia onset and
myopia progression. It covers pathogenesis
and the genetics of myopia; epidemiology;
risk factors; and preventive measures and
treatment options.
“We would like to summarise the current
knowledge in this rapidly developing field
and help European eye care specialists to
reduce myopia onset and slow down its
progression through effective interventions,”
stated Professor János Németh, scientific
deputy director of the Department of
Ophthalmology, Semmelweis University in
Budapest, Hungary.
The second series of IMI Whitepapers
will also be released shortly in 2021. This
is in line with IMI’s ongoing work to deal
with the health crisis and halt the growing
trend of myopia. The focus is on continued
production and publication of critical
25-04-2021 19:55