Myopia Prevention Strategies in Children: A Contemporary Global Perspective

Myopia has emerged as a global public health crisis, with prevalence projected to affect nearly 50% of the world’s population by 2050. The condition carries significant implications for visual health, as high myopia substantially increases lifetime risk of sight-threatening complications, including retinal detachment and myopic maculopathy. This review synthesizes current evidence on primary and secondary prevention strategies for paediatric myopia, focusing on environmental interventions, optical devices, and pharmaceutical approaches. Randomized controlled trials demonstrate that increasing outdoor time by as little as 40–80 min daily reduces myopia incidence by 23–52% in school-aged children. Secondary prevention strategies, including low-dose atropine (0.05%), orthokeratology, peripheral defocus spectacles, and contact lenses, achieve 43–67% reduction in myopia progression. An integrated approach combining behavioural modification with optical or pharmaceutical interventions offers the most promising framework for addressing this epidemic. Evidence-based implementation at individual, school, and policy levels is essential to reduce the global burden of myopia.