Western Pacific Health Data Platform

Myopia at epidemic levels

Myopia is the leading cause of refractive error in the Western Pacific Region. The condition has reached epidemic levels and is increasingly being recognized by experts as a public health emergency. Despite limited data obscuring the real burden in many countries, the Region is home to some of the highest rates of myopia in the world. Prevalence rose dramatically over the past decades, from about 20% in the mid-20th century to nearly 50% among adolescents in countries such as Singapore and China, and reaches 80% in young adults in some areas 1. This surge, particularly evident in East and Southeast Asia, has closely paralleled rapid economic growth, urbanization, and associated lifestyle and educational changes such as reduced outdoor activity 2.

Figure 1 displays 2023 and 2030 estimates of effective refractive error coverage (eREC), which tracks how many people with refractive error got proper care usually with glasses, for 20 Member States from the region. Although these are modeled estimates and therefore may differ significantly from the real situation, Figure 1 demonstrates the potential varying progress among Member States. Progress can be accelerated with initiatives such as SPECS 2030 4.

Crude eREC Change by Country and Sex (2023 → 2030)

Figure 1. 2023 and 2030 estimates of eREC for 20 Member States from Western Pacific Region2,5
Note: Member States with estimates from recent population-based studies are not included (Vanuatu and Samoa).

WHO SPECS 2030 envisions a world in which everyone who needs a refractive error intervention has access to quality, affordable and people-centred refractive error services. The initiative calls for coordinated global action amongst all stakeholders across 5 strategic pillars, in line with the letters of SPECS, to address the key challenges to improving refractive error coverage4.

Figure 2. Five pillars of SPECS 2030 initiative.

 

References:

  1. World Health Organization. World report on vision. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019 (https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/328717). Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
  2. Bourne, R. R. A., Cicinelli, M. V., Selby, D. A., Sedighi, T., Tapply, I. H., McCormick, I., ... & Zhang, X. J. (2025). Effective refractive error coverage in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis of updated estimates from population-based surveys in 76 countries modelling the path towards the 2030 global target. The Lancet Global Health.
  3. Burton MJ, Ramke J, Marques AP, Bourne RRA, Congdon N, Jones I et al. The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020. The Lancet Global Health. 2021;9(4):e489-e551 (https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30488-5).
  4. World Health Organization. SPECS 2030 [Internet]. Geneva: WHO; [cited 2025 Sep 11]. Available from: https://www.who.int/initiatives/specs-2030
  5. Global Health Observatory (GHO), https://www.who.int/data/gho (accessed 16 Sept 2025)