WSPOS pushes global strategy to curb myopia surge

Expert warn rigid global standards won’t solve region-specific challenges.

The World Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (WSPOS) is calling for a flexible global strategy to address the surging rates of pediatric myopia, as countries face growing pressure to act amid rising caseloads.

“I don't think we need a global consensus. We need a global strategy, and then each country can come to its own consensus, which is region specific,” said Dr. Ken Nischal, Founder and Co-Director of WSPOS. “Each global region has its own specific problems and its own specific challenges.”

The urgency is driven by one key clinical goal: slowing axial elongation in children’s eyes, which directly contributes to long-term damage. “I want to slow the axial elongation that is abnormally fast in children who are becoming myopic,” Dr. Nischal told Healthcare Asia during the 2025 Asia-Pacific Myopia Management Symposium in Hong Kong.

At the foundation of intervention strategies, behavioral change remains non-negotiable. “Children should be out for at least two hours a day...and reduce the amount of time on screens,” he noted, adding that lifestyle interventions must come before any pharmacological or optical treatments.

WSPOS has also prioritised making its guidelines widely accessible. Recent consensus statements have been translated into up to 15 languages, alongside AI-generated podcasts aimed at reaching both professionals and parents globally. “You have got to translate English-based documents to different languages so that the people who really need that...are not only the eye care professionals or providers, but also parents,” Dr. Nischal explained.