On World Children's Day, leading voices in public health, policy, and eye care declare childhood myopia as a public health emergency demanding immediate, coordinated global response.
20 November 2025 – World Children's Day champions every child's fundamental rights, to health, to education, to a future full of opportunity. Yet millions of children worldwide are being denied one of the most basic rights of all: the right to see clearly. Today, HOYA Vision Care convened leading global experts, policymakers, industry leaders, and advocates to publish "Tackling the Myopia Crisis: Uniting Frontline Care, Policy, and Thoughtful Innovation" – a landmark consensus statement that declares childhood myopia as a public health emergency and charts a unified path forward through coordinated global intervention.
The expert panel, convened by HOYA Vision Care, represented a united front spanning the fields of epidemiology, policy, sustainability, clinical care, and patient advocacy. Together, they called for an immediate and pivotal shift from fragmented efforts to a coordinated global strategy, and, put forward four critical recommendations for government and healthcare systems to drive systemic change:
- Mandate universal paediatric vision screening for preschool age upwards
- Prioritize myopia management intervention upskilling in continuous professional educational programs for Eye Care Professionals
- Healthy visual habits including mandated time outdoors, myopia awareness initiatives and myopia-focused educational activities within school curricula and community hubs
- Recognize that these measures should be implemented alongside wider policies to address childhood health inequalities, digital wellbeing, and universal health coverage, ensuring no child's future is limited by preventable vision impairment
Marius de Beer, Chief Sustainability Officer, HOYA Vision Care, said: "At HOYA Vision Care, we’re proud to champion a movement focused on protecting children from the rapid and preventable progression of myopia. This growing challenge clearly calls for an innovative approach and long-term commitment to improve the next generation’s health, well-being and their journey through life. Not only do we feel this as part of our purpose, but we are inspired to help resolve this crisis through transformative partnerships across healthcare, policy and education. Ultimately early detection, care, and awareness will result in a future where myopia no longer limits potential. Our vision is clear, true success will come when we all stand together to make healthy sight a universal right, not a privilege."
Childhood myopia, or short-sightedness, is escalating at a rapid pace, emerging as one of the most urgent public health challenges of our time. By 2050, it is estimated to affect 52% of the global population, double the 27% affected in 2010.¹ Hundreds of millions of these are children who will face lasting medical, social, and economic consequences throughout their lives. The economic burden is staggering; in 2015 alone, productivity losses from uncorrected myopia in adults totalled 244 billion USD globally ², demonstrating how childhood myopia creates lifelong consequences that ripple across economies and societies. Yet a 2024 study proved that myopia control interventions are cost-effective well below WHO thresholds, making inaction not just harmful but economically indefensible. ³
Professor Serge Resnikoff, Chair, International Myopia Institute (IMI), said: "Myopia cases are rapidly rising, and incremental progress is not enough. Today, on World Children's Day, we are uniting to demonstrate the global collaboration that is essential to translate proven interventions into scalable policies that protect children's sight and safeguard public health."
Despite these stark realities, health systems worldwide remain unprepared to respond at the scale and speed required. Millions of children, particularly those in underserved communities, lack access to even basic vision care, whilst the evidence-based interventions that could protect their sight remain underutilised.
Jacqueline Grove, President of 20/20 Quest, National Vision's Charitable Foundation, CEO of The Coalition for Clear Vision said: "Access to care for all children must be non-negotiable in global myopia action. Every child, regardless of who or where they are, deserves access to the vision care that could change the trajectory of their entire life. There is no better day than World Children's Day to commit to this action."
Dr Stuart Keel, PhD, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative
"Childhood myopia has become a major public health concern demanding integrated, people-centred approaches at every level of care. The WHO SPECS 2030 Initiative supports countries in developing sustainable eye care strategies that prioritise refractive error services and myopia management. Partnerships such as this roundtable demonstrate how coordinated global action can drive real impact - but only if we move from consensus to implementation."
Prof. Dominique Bremond-Gignac, Professor of Ophthalmology, France
"Children's vision cannot wait for bureaucratic timelines; France's experience proves that early policy action delivers measurable impact. When governments, clinicians, and industry work together with urgency and purpose, myopia management can be integrated into standard of care quickly and effectively. Other nations must follow suit.”
HOYA Vision Care is at the forefront of shaping global eye care, actively contributing to the WHO SPECS 2030 initiative, which aims to increase refractive error coverage by 40% by 2030. Through their 'One Vision' program, HOYA Vision Care is driving meaningful initiatives that unite employees and external stakeholders to sustainably build resilient, healthier communities worldwide.
Today's consensus statement represents a defining moment in the fight against childhood myopia. Healthcare professionals, policymakers, educators, and advocates worldwide are called to act immediately – integrating these recommendations into practice, policy, and community programmes.
On World Children's Day, we commit to every child's right to clear vision. We are proud to present the Tackling the Myopia Crisis Consensus Statement.
