Screens Down, Eyes Up: Myopia Awareness Week 2025 Calls for Action on Eye Health
Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI), an Australia-based not-for-profit research and development organization with an international focus on vision research, together with Review of Myopia Management, has announced the launch of Myopia Awareness Week 2025, a global initiative to bring attention to the growing epidemic of myopia in children. Running the week of May 19-25, this year’s theme of “Screens Down, Eyes Up” calls for lifestyle changes to help protect vision, including the need for outdoor time and balanced near-work. The initiative encourages individuals, families and health care professionals to work together to take action.
“Myopia Awareness Week is a clear reminder that when we unite as an eyecare sector, our collective impact can be far greater,” said Yvette Waddell, chief executive officer of BHVI. "Through continued collaboration, we are better positioned to address this escalating public health challenge. We need to spread the message that children who don’t spend enough time outdoors are at greater risk of developing myopia, which can progress to irreversible vision loss. While we don’t yet know everything about myopia, we know far too much to remain passive."
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is an increasingly common ocular disorder and the leading cause of visual impairment in children. Studies have predicted that the global prevalence of myopia will rise from 28 percent of the world’s population, or two billion people in 2010, to 50 percent of the world’s population, or five billion people in 2050. Uncorrected myopia is a leading cause of blindness worldwide.
Myopia Awareness Week 2025 urges people to adopt four essential habits for myopia prevention and management:
Encouraging open conversations about myopia risks, prevention strategies, and treatment advancements, with colleagues, parents, children and eyecare practitioners.
Taking the pledge to make myopia management a part of a daily routine and keep up-to-date with the latest treatments and management techniques.
Promoting healthy screen and near-work habits, having daily outdoor time and employing screen time reduction tools on smart phones and electronic devices.
Reinforcing the importance of regular eye exams for early detection and effective management of myopia.
“After such an unbelievably successful campaign last year, Review of Myopia Management are excited to again be a part of this globally important event. Bringing together the global eyecare industry is incredibly important in tackling this worldwide healthcare epidemic. We implore all to get involved, spread the word about myopia, and start making healthier vision choices before it’s too late,” said Kristen Dalli, executive editor at Review of Myopia Management. “The changes we make today mean we can prevent the onset or slow the progression of myopia and see longer tomorrow.”
Coinciding with Myopia Awareness Week is the release of BHVI’s new and improved Myopia Calculator, a highly utilized myopia diagnostic tool to demonstrate the effects of a combination of treatments and therapies on slowing the progression of myopia. BHVI’s Myopia Calculator is an online toolkit designed to help eyecare practitioners effectively communicate projected myopia progression and treatment efficacy to parents and patients.