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Up to 1 billion people at risk of blindness by 2050

Up to 1 billion people could be at risk of blindness by the middle of the century if an emerging short-sightedness (myopia) epidemic is ignored say researchers at the Brien Holden Vision Institute.

Half the world's population (nearly 5 billion) will be myopic by 2050 they predict, with up to one-fifth of them (1 billion) in the high myopia category, and at a significantly increased risk of blindness, if behavioural interventions and optical treatments are not developed and implemented. Currently, it's estimated that over 2 billion people in the world suffer from myopia.