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National Academies’ Myopia Report

Myopia Academies Cover.
Co-sponsored by the Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science.

We are excited to share that our school has co-sponsored a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which recommends that myopia to be officially classified as a disease. The report addresses the alarming rise of myopia, particularly among children, and advocates for policies promoting more outdoor time for young people as a way to reduce the risk of developing myopia.

The study — undertaken by the Committee on Focus on Myopia: Pathogenesis and Rising Incidence — was sponsored by the American Academy of Optometry; American Optometric Association; Health Care Alliance for Patient Safety; Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of California, Berkeley; Johnson & Johnson Vision; National Eye Institute; Reality Labs; Research to Prevent Blindness; and the Warby Parker Impact Foundation. Many of our alumni and faculty participated or were referenced in the report. Special thank you to Marty Banks who was one of the NAS members who proposed the report.

News Release Read the Report