Remarkable progress has been made in the prevention and control of myopia among Chinese children and adolescents, with the coverage rate of eye health and vision checks for children aged 0 to 6 reaching 95.1 percent, a health official said on Friday.

This rate marks an increase of over 3 percentage points compared to 2020.

Eye examinations for children include refractive tests at 24 months, 36 months, and annually from 4 to 6 years old, Shen Haiping, an official with China's National Health Commission, said at a press conference. He added that parents will be advised to help their children develop good eye habits if a deficiency is detected.

Thanks to these efforts, the overall myopia rate among children and adolescents in China dropped to 51.9 percent in 2022, representing a decrease of 0.7 percentage points compared to 2021 and a reduction of 1.7 percentage points compared to 2018.

Calling for joint efforts from the government, schools, families, healthcare institutions and the public, Shen said that medical institutions and schools will be encouraged to establish a coordinated mechanism that offers health education, refractive screenings, vision checks, and other services to primary and secondary school students.