Does screening for myopia in New Zealand meet screening programme criteria?

AIM

The purpose of this paper is to assess whether screening for myopia in New Zealand is valid under scrutiny of the Wilson and Jungner criteria. There is a worldwide myopia epidemic which requires urgent attention to reduce vision impairment, blindness and costs to wider society. The risks associated with myopia are under-appreciated in New Zealand, and treatments need to be refocused from correcting refractive error to preventing axial length elongation.

METHODS

The Wilson and Jungner criteria was used to assess the validity of screening for myopia in New Zealand through review of the latest evidence relevant to each point within the criteria.

RESULTS

We found that the screening for myopia in New Zealand met 7 out of 10 of the Wilson and Jungner criteria.

CONCLUSIONS

The concept of a screening programme for myopia in New Zealand performed relatively well, and should be considered further. Further randomised clinical trials, which clearly identify the appropriate treatment modalities and timing, would allow the establishment of robust New Zealand specific myopia management guidelines. We would then suggest a trial of a screening programme in New Zealand setting to assess real-world feasibility and cost-effectiveness to identify early myopia and provide treatment to slow progression. Adjustments could be made to the already available screening programme, consisting of suitable reduction of screening age, and introduction of autorefractors.