China launches 5-year campaign against youth myopia

Pupils play soccer after school at a primary school in Baoji, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, March 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao)

BEIJING, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China has launched a five-year campaign to prevent and curb myopia among younger generations, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said Tuesday.

The government aims to continuously reduce the myopia rate of children and adolescents every year and effectively improve the visual health of young Chinese by 2025, according to a work plan jointly released by 15 national agencies including the MOE.

Under the plan, the agencies will initiate special operations, such as reducing students' academic burden, limiting their exposure to digital gadgets, ensuring one hour of outdoor activities or physical exercise every day both during and after school hours, and conducting optical examinations of all children and students to identify possible eyesight issues.