title: What Public Policies Should Be Developed to Cope with the Myopia Epidemic?
abstract: The epidemic of myopia in urban Asian cities has increased over recent generations and has become a significant public health concern. Considering the potential role of time outdoors in myopia prevention, and the differences in behavioral attitudes of individuals living in Urban East Asian (more indoor-centric) and Western countries, public policies should be developed in different countries accordingly to encourage children to go outdoors to counteract myopia. This is a short manuscript (presented at the International Myopia Conference-2015 by Prof. Seang Mei Saw) about public policies that should be developed to cope with the "myopia epidemic."
authors.affiliation: *PhD †MPH Myopia Research Group, Singapore Eye Research Institute, The Academia, Singapore (PKV, S-MS); and Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore (NEHC, S-MS).
authors.forename: Pavan Kumar
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Verkicharla
authors.forename: Nadine En Hui
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Chia
authors.forename: Seang-Mei
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Saw
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003226:Congresses as Topic; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D009216:Myopia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011634:Public Health; D011640:Public Policy; D012846:Singapore / Q000453:epidemiology