Free screenings to tackle myopia crisis
- Chris McMillan
- 12 hours ago
- 1 min read
RTHK
8th September 2026
Free screenings to tackle myopia crisis
The non-profit organisation, Orbis International, and the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine (HKUMed) have launched a joint initiative to combat the city's myopia crisis
The partnership will offer 1,000 free paediatric eye exams and 1,000 adult myopia screenings, alongside a three-year clinical trial for advanced therapies.
Medical experts describe short-sightedness as a lifelong threat — a condition that takes root in primary school but, if left unmanaged, drastically raises the risk of irreversible blindness in adulthood.
A 2025 HKUMed study conducted at the HKU Eye Centre examined 501 children aged five to 12 and found that nearly eight in 20 children, or 39.7 percent, suffered from myopia.
Professor Christopher Leung, from the Department of Ophthalmology at HKUMed, said myopia development and progression actively happens during this age range.
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