A cost-effective digital vision management strategy could reduce childhood myopia in China
A critical gap exists in vision care services during the preschool period—often called the “next 1000 days” following early infancy—when children fall between intensive infant healthcare and formal school-based screening programs.
A new study from China has modeled the cost-effectiveness of an AI-empowered digital vision management strategy aimed at reducing myopia prevalence, by enabling non-medical screeners including parents, teachers, and volunteers to conduct screenings supported by AI technology. The study modelled a cohort of 100,000 hypothetical children (ages 3-18) over 15 years.
Key Findings:
- The AI-empowered digital vision management strategy predicted a total myopia prevalence reduction of 26.5% in rural areas and 19.9% in urban areas, compared with no intervention.
- Population-level projections indicate potential savings of $331.5 billion over the life cycle (ages 3-60) compared with no intervention, with 94% of savings derived from avoiding future productivity losses. The predicted productivity gains in rural areas were 207 times larger than the initial healthcare investment.
- The digital strategy was predicted to significantly improve eye health service coverage, particularly in underserved areas, with rural coverage increasing 3.5-fold compared with no intervention.
This national modeling study predicts that the digital vision management strategy is highly cost-effective, and has the potential to substantially reduce myopia and other eye problems in both rural and urban areas. The proposed approach offers a practical model for countries with limited eye care resources to provide fair and accessible vision services during critical childhood years.
Reference: Jin S, Bai W, Yusufu M, et al. Digital technologies in enhancing hierarchical vision health management for the next 1000 days of children’s life: multi-component economic evaluation. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific. 2025;63:101695. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanwpc.2025.101695
