Vision is one of the five senses gifted to humans, as well as other beings, to explore this beautiful Earth.
It can be crucial for survival, allowing humans to decide what to do in a fight-or-flight situation.
It has allowed us to explore, navigate and discover new places and experience new things.
Similarly, for children, good vision is essential to enable them to grow, learn and explore the world around them.
With the tools and technology available to us, optimal vision should be a fundamental right for every child.
Unfortunately, shortsightedness is an increasingly common condition.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 2.6 billion people were reported to suffer from shortsightedness in 2020.
This figure is anticipated to rise to 3.4 billion by 2030.
Sadly, more and more children are being affected by this condition, with those from Asia leading the list.
Those left behind
Detecting and diagnosing shortsightedness, also known as myopia, in children as early as possible is crucial.
Left untreated, myopia can lead to further complications such as amblyopia.
Also known as lazy eye, amblyopia is a neurological issue.
When one eye has poor vision, a child’s developing brain may ignore its visual input, focusing only on the input of the good eye.
If not treated, this will become irreversible, resulting in permanent loss of vision in the affected eye.
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Apart from that, the complications of high myopia include increased risks of detachment of the retina and the development of glaucoma, as well as damage to the macula (maculopathy) causing poor vision.
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These can be avoided by correcting and treating the child’s myopia by prescribing spectacles offering the best corrected vision.
The increasing number of government and private optometrist and eye specialist centres, particularly in urban areas, has made obtaining information and check-ups on eye health much easier and accessible.
However, there are still many children who are logistically “off the grid” when it comes to accessing such services.
These children commonly reside in rural areas, which lack infrastructure.
They face logistical challenges travelling to nearby town centres with eye health services.
There are also children in urban areas from lower-income families with poor social support, who suffer silently.
Aside from logistics and resources, awareness and health education are also rather lacking among those living in rural areas.
Detecting and diagnosing shortsightedness is but the stepping stone towards better eye health.
More important is maintaining care and ensuring spectacles are constantly worn to prevent any further complications.
Screening outreach
To help fill these gaps, Universiti Sains Malaysia’s (USM’s) Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science has conducted several eye health screening programmes among schoolchildren in rural areas in Terengganu and Kelantan.
These range from providing support and channelling resources to children staying in islands such as Redang, Tioman and Perhentian, to offering coaching classes and consultations, as well as engaging with schoolteachers and district education officers in parts of rural Kelantan.
Led by consultant paediatric ophthalmologist and strabismus surgeon Prof Dr Shatriah Ismail, the department has conducted extensive outreach activities within the targeted communities, performed thorough visual screenings and offered on-site consultations for children suspected of having visual impairments.
Prof Shatriah also aims to facilitate the referral of children diagnosed with myopia to the department’s clinic where they will receive comprehensive evaluation and management tailored to specific needs, as well as the continuity of care needed for better long-term outcomes.
With children’s eye symptoms sometimes being subtle and often going unreported, especially by younger children, one of the main objectives of the eye health screening programmes is to empower school teachers to detect students with eye problems and channel them to the right health authorities.
Parents and teachers noticing children with vague visual symptoms, such as needing to read closely, experiencing difficulty in learning and/or having an abnormal head posture or squint, are advised to request an appointment with the nearest ophthalmologist to assess the child’s vision.
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Many of these activities come under the KPT Prihatin Komuniti Sejahtera programme.
This initiative by the Higher Education Ministry aims to improve the well-being of rural communities through education outreach and health services provided by public universities.
Aside from USM volunteers, these eye health programmes have also received support in the form of volunteer optometrists and equipment from private optometrist companies in Kelantan.
The Majlis Agama Islam dan Adat Istiadat Melayu Kelantan (MAIK) has also played a crucial role in providing financial aid for spectacles for children in need through reserves from the collected zakat.
Schools and district education offices have been very supportive of these programmes as an effort to help our future generations.
More support is always needed though, and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science hopes that more companies and non-governmental agencies (NGOs) will join their efforts to help improve eye health among rural schoolchildren.
Keep those eyes healthy!
However, prevention is always better than a cure.
So, before the doctors arrive at the doorstep, what can be done?
Various studies have shown that intense engagement with electronic gadgets and staying indoors can further increase the risk of developing myopia and jeopardising eye health.
Indeed, a recently-published study led by Prof Shatriah and USM ophthalmologist Dr Wardati Jami found that children engaging in outdoor activities tend to reduce their chances of suffering from myopia.
Sunlight exposure seems to protect against myopia by increasing higher levels of retinal dopamine, which can delay the onset and progression of shortsightedness.
This study involved 480 children aged seven to 12 years old, who live on the East Coast islands of Malaysia.
The team also found that 11.9% of these children had vision problems, with most cases (7.4% of the 480) being shortsightedness.
Encouraging children to reduce screen time and being more active outdoors will not only reduce the risk of shortsightedness, but can also help them develop their social and emotional skills.
Apart from that, a healthy, well-balanced meal is crucial in maintaining good visual health.
Parents should monitor their children’s diet and avoid allowing them to consume too much fast food, which contains high amounts of sugar, salt and oil.
Instead, children should have a diet filled with lots of fibre, proteins and vegetables, which are necessary for healthy growth and development.
Eyesight is a gift that must be treasured.
As a parent, wanting the best for our children is surely at the top of our list.
Having clear vision will help children in developing well and discovering the curiosities awaiting them in the world around.
Dr Adri Shafit is a lecturer at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin. He and Dr Amalina Shukri are both training in ophthalmology at Universiti Sains Malaysia Specialist Hospital. For more information, email starhealth@thestar.com.my. The information provided is for educational and communication purposes only, and should not be considered as medical advice. The Star does not give any warranty on accuracy, completeness, functionality, usefulness or other assurances as to the content appearing in this article. The Star disclaims all responsibility for any losses, damage to property or personal injury suffered directly or indirectly from reliance on such information.
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