EFFECTIVENESS OF NATIONAL MYOPIA PREVENTION PROGRAMME’S STRATEGIES FOR PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

NOTICE PAPER NO. 2644
NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR WRITTEN ANSWER
FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON 6 MARCH 2024

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang
MP for Nee Soon GRC

Question No. 5618

To ask the Minister for Health (a) what targets has the Ministry set for the National Myopia Prevention Programme to delay the onset, and reduce the progression, of myopia for children in Singapore; (b) if there are no targets set, whether the Ministry will consider setting targets to lower the prevalence of myopia among primary school students; and (c) how does the Ministry measure the effectiveness of the National Myopia Prevention Programme.

Answer

1      The Health Promotion Board (HPB) screens Kindergarten 1 to Primary 4 children under the National Myopia Prevention Programme (NMPP). The programme aims to delay the onset and progression of myopia in children through annual vision screening, workshops to equip parents with strategies to develop good eye care habits in their children, and partnerships with schools, ophthalmologists and eyecare providers in the community on myopia prevention initiatives. 

2      HPB tracks the proportion of Primary 1 (P1) school children with uncorrected visual acuity of ≥ 6/12 as a measure of onset of myopia. Since the inception of NMPP in 2001, myopia prevalence rates in P1 children have decreased and stabilised at 26% in 2023, achieving HPB’s target of 30% or lower.

3     In addition, HPB monitors myopia severity levels¹ in selected Primary and Secondary schools as an indicator of myopia progression. The prevalence of low myopia in selected primary schools remained stable at 20% in 2023 compared to 19% in 2013. Over the same period, moderate myopia decreased from 9% to 7% and high myopia decreased from 3% to 2%. Similarly, in selected secondary schools, the prevalence of low myopia remained stable at 27% in 2023 compared to 28% in 2013. Over the same period, moderate myopia decreased from 20% to 18% and high myopia decreased from 11% to 7%.

^{1 Low Myopia -0.5D to < -3D; Moderate Myopia -3D to < -5D; High myopia ≤ -5D}