For the first time since myopia was flagged as a problem among children in Singapore, fewer kids are becoming short-sighted.
A six-year study by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) showed there has been a 5 per cent drop in the number of children who have had to turn to spectacles.
The dip in numbers, believed to be the first in the world, is the likely result of a comprehensive 10-year National Myopia Prevention Programme that promotes early intervention and good eye-care habits in schools, said the board.
About 20,000 pupils between seven and 12 years old from 12 primary schools took part in vision screenings in HPB's survey. It found that while 38 pupils out of every 100 had myopia in 2004, the number dropped to 33 in 2009. Singapore has one of the world's highest rates of myopia. About 65 per cent of children aged 12 here are short-sighted.
source
A six-year study by the Health Promotion Board (HPB) showed there has been a 5 per cent drop in the number of children who have had to turn to spectacles.
The dip in numbers, believed to be the first in the world, is the likely result of a comprehensive 10-year National Myopia Prevention Programme that promotes early intervention and good eye-care habits in schools, said the board.
About 20,000 pupils between seven and 12 years old from 12 primary schools took part in vision screenings in HPB's survey. It found that while 38 pupils out of every 100 had myopia in 2004, the number dropped to 33 in 2009. Singapore has one of the world's highest rates of myopia. About 65 per cent of children aged 12 here are short-sighted.
source
