In a significant stride towards safeguarding the vision of its youngest citizens, China has expanded its eye health and vision check coverage to an impressive 95.1% for children aged 0 to 6. This marks a notable increase of over 3 percentage points since 2020, highlighting the country's commitment to combating myopia among its youth.
Shen Haiping, an official with China's National Health Commission, announced during a press conference that the comprehensive eye examinations include refractive tests at 24 months, 36 months, and annually from ages 4 to 6. These early and regular assessments are crucial in identifying and addressing any vision deficiencies promptly. Parents are actively encouraged to foster good eye habits in their children, ensuring long-term eye health.
The efforts have already borne fruit, with the overall myopia rate among Chinese children and adolescents dropping to 51.9% in 2022. This represents a decrease of 0.7 percentage points compared to 2021 and a 1.7 percentage point reduction since 2018.
Shen emphasized the importance of a collaborative approach, calling on the government, schools, families, healthcare institutions, and the public to work together. Medical institutions and schools are being urged to establish coordinated mechanisms that provide health education, refractive screenings, vision checks, and other essential services to students in primary and secondary education. This holistic strategy aims to ensure that every child receives the necessary support for maintaining healthy vision.
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Eye health checks cover over 95 pct of Chinese children aged 0-6
cgtn.com
