WSPOS Myopia Consensus Statement Provides Clear Answers

The 2025 Myopia Consensus Statement from the World Society of Paediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus (WSPOS) helped fulfil the need for clear guidance on what works and what doesn’t work when attempting to slow the progression of myopia. The statement summarises the current consensus on the essentials of myopia management and treatment.

Myopia has become more of a public health concern, with a rise in the prevalence of nearsightedness globally. Experts are talking about a myopia pandemic, and by 2050, half of the global population may be myopic, with more than 740 million children and adolescents affected.

The need to control myopia progression stems from the risks associated with high myopia, which can increase the chances of retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and other eye conditions.

“The longer your eyeball, the more nearsighted you are, and as the eyeball becomes longer, it starts to affect the function and the outcomes of eye health,” Ken K Nischal MD, founder of WSPOS, explained. “When the eyeball gets beyond 26 millimetres, the retina does not function properly.”

Several solutions with at least two years of follow-up and solid scientific evidence are now available to control myopia progression, including defocus lenses and contact lenses, low-dose atropine eye drops, orthokeratology, low-level red light therapy, and combination treatments. The WSPOS Consensus Statement presents all these options in an accessible and easy-to-understand format, while also explaining their mechanisms of action and potential side effects.

“The consensus statement provides new data for practitioners, and it is very important to update it regularly, because it is essential to keep children away from high myopia,” Dominique Brémond-Gignac MD, PhD noted. “Every dioptre increases the risk of maculopathy, so every dioptre counts.”

However, as the statement highlights, prevention and behavioural interventions remain key in the fight against myopia progression. Daily exposure to natural light, for example, has strong scientific support in protecting children from myopia. Good habits—such as managing screen time and near work, taking breaks every 30 minutes, and avoiding reading in dim light—are also essential. In this context, the role of parents is pivotal, especially in ensuring children adhere to the prescribed treatment to support progress and prevent worsening. It is also important to consider customised solutions according to what the child and family need, especially financial ones, which must be thoroughly discussed, according to Professor Brémond-Gignac.

Collaboration with public health institutions and schools should also be effective in educating the public about the risks of myopia, as Prof Nischal wrote in an editorial published in Eye. Some countries, such as France, dedicate an entire week each year to national myopia campaigns, featuring free screening programmes and advertisements on social media, TV, and newspapers.

The myopia epidemic was discussed during a myopia innovation session at the WSPOS specialty day conference at the 2025 ESCRS Annual Congress in Copenhagen. Other topics included paediatric cataract, ocular surface disease, uveitis, and retinitis of prematurity.

The WSPOS Consensus Statement is available online at https://wspos.org/myopia-consensus-statement-2025.

Ken K Nischal MD, FAAP, FRCOphth is division chief, Pediatric Ophthalmology, Strabismus, and Adult Motility, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania, US, and founder of WSPOS.

Dominique Brémond-Gignac MD, PhD, FEBO is professor and head of the ophthalmology department at University Hospital Necker-Enfants-malades and Paris University, France.