VisionPlus India

There are additional barriers that influence whether a child receives and consistently wears spectacles, such as access to vision care, costs, as well as parental education. These factors need to be considered in optometric and ophthalmic practice and any resentment towards vision correction is resolved with sensitive measures. THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF MYOPIA Individual Level The economic impact of myopia on the individual includes direct costs for diagnosis, treatment, and transport (to and from treatment places) as well as productivity loss related to time spent on eye examinations, travelling to clinics, loss of time from the workplace etc. These costs may vary depending on country of residence, severity of myopia and age of the individual. Costs are found to increase with age, especially in older individuals and attributed, in part, to the complications arising from myopia. Expenditure also increases with the severity of myopia as there may be increased costs for regular check- ups, different management solutions, or more frequent replacements due to changes in the prescription. Societal Level The economic burden of myopia on society includes healthcare expenses related to eye examinations and vision correction as well as expenses for medical treatments, medication, surgeries, or medical procedures due to complications. In countries with a high prevalence of myopia such as Singapore, the direct health expenditures associated with myopia were found to be higher than costs associated with some chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. However, with rising prevalence, the costs of managing myopia-related conditions are expected to rise worldwide in the future. In addition to health expenditure, myopia results in the loss of productivity that impacts society. It was estimated that productivity loss, due to severe visual impairment and blindness from myopia, amounted to 94.5 billion US dollars in 2019 and could rise to 229.3 billion US dollars in 2050.9 WHAT THIS MEANS IN PRACTICE: MYOPIA MANAGEMENT It is expected that the burden of myopia and high myopia will rise due to the growing prevalence of myopia. At the societal level, managing myopia has a positive impact on productivity. Importantly the costs associated with correcting and controlling myopia progression are lower than the overall gains in productivity. Thus, when it comes to practising myopia management, prevention where possible and if not early detection and approaches to slow progression are the keys to reducing the impact of myopia. Lower levels of myopia reduce the risk of costs associated with managing the condition and reduce the risk of eye complications. Education on the positive effects of minimising excessive near work and spending more time outdoors is a key element in myopia management. Prof Padmaja Sankaridurg Head of Global Myopia Management, ZEISS Vision Care 42 VISION PLUS INDIA EDITION