5th January 2020
50% of the world’s population are expected to by myopic by 2050, equal to 4.76 billion people.
938m people are predicted to suffer from high myopia by 2050, which put them at risk of more serious eye conditions like Myopic Macular Degeneration, Glaucoma and Retinal Detachment.
Currently, 30%-50% of adults in the US and Europe are myopic while, countries in East and South Eastern Asia, myopia prevalence has risen from 1%-80% in school-leavers aged 17 or 18.
Says Dr Louise Gow, specialist lead in eye health for Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). “We know genetics is a factor; if you have a parent who is short-sighted then you are much more likely to become short-sighted,”