Prioritise eye health in primary schools to reduce myopia, urge experts

Free Malaysia Today

Two specialists say the education ministry should extend the period for outdoor activities in schools and train teachers to detect vision issues.   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/01/28/prioritise-eye-health-in-primary-schools-to-reduce-myopia-urge-experts/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTNews #Myopia #DzulkeflyAhmad

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00:00Two eye care specialists have urged the education ministry to prioritise eye health in primary

00:06schools to reduce myopia, also known as short-sightedness, among children.

00:11Association of Malaysian Optometrists Vice President Dr S Satya Prakash said physical

00:16education plays a crucial role in reducing myopia, and the ministry should look into

00:21extending the period of outdoor activities in schools.

00:25He said schools should also promote practical strategies like the 20-20-20 rule, which calls

00:31for a 20-second break and look at something 20 feet away for every 20 minutes of doing

00:36close-up work.

00:38On January 16, Health Minister Zulkifli Ahmad said visual acuity problems remain a major

00:43concern among year one pupils, particularly in Puja Jaya, which increased from 215 in

00:502022 to 239 in 2023.

00:54Dr Nur Azhar Abdulrahman, a paediatrics ophthalmologist at Subang Jaya Medical Centre, shared a similar

01:00view, saying teachers play a vital role in reducing myopia among school children.

01:06She said besides educating children regarding eye health, the government should allocate

01:11funding to train teachers to identify and detect children's vision issues for early

01:16treatment.

01:17Nur Azhar also dismissed that myopia in children is related to malnourishment, saying it was

01:22more likely due to lifestyle problems and genetics.

01:27Pan Yujo, FMT News.

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