This website grew out of over 33 years of clinical practice, most of it in paediatric ophthalmology. During that time, I have been involved in some remarkable advances in areas such as the treatment of childhood eye cancer, the care of sight-threatening conditions in premature babies, and the development of molecular genetic testing for rare eye disorders. Yet among all these developments, the issue that stood out most to me was a far more common one: myopia.

Why myopia? When I trained in the United Kingdom, very little attention was given to it. It was not until I moved to Hong Kong in the late 1990s that I began to appreciate just how strongly the environment can influence eye disease, especially in children. Few eye conditions have increased in prevalence as dramatically as childhood myopia. Once considered a problem of the East, it is now a global concern.

Why this website? Much of the current literature on myopia approaches the condition in isolation. Public recommendations are, quite rightly, grounded in randomised controlled trials, the strongest form of clinical evidence. But as a clinician, I believe advice should be guided not only by evidence but also by the needs of the whole child and the wider environments in which children grow, learn, and live. On this platform, I hope to guide you through myopia as I understand it—from basic science to social behaviour. Along the way, we will explore the practical strategies families can adopt to help prevent it.

Dr Christopher Yu

Specialist in Ophthalmology, MB BS (London), FRCOphth, FCOphthHK, FHKAM (Ophthalmology)