In view of the alarming rise in childhood myopia across India and globally, the All India Ophthalmological Society has released guidelines that emphasise annual eye examinations, school vision screenings, and spending two hours outdoors daily.
The guidelines on “Prevention and Management of Childhood Myopia”, which reinforce the importance of the widely advocated 20-20-20 rule, encouraging children to take a 20-second break every 20 minutes and focus on an object 20 feet away to reduce eye strain, have been released during World Myopia Week 2026, observed from May 18 to 24.
Developed by leading pediatric ophthalmologists from the country and with unconditional support from Sun Pharma, the guidelines aim to equip parents, educators, and healthcare professionals with evidence-based recommendations to address the health challenge.