China News Network Client Beijing, June 5 (Reporter Zhang Ni) On the eve of the National Eye Care Day on the 5th, the National Health and Health Commission released the "White Paper on China's Eye Health." Statistics show that the number of ophthalmologists in China has exceeded 40,000. In recent years, the prevalence of blind and moderately severe visually impaired patients in China has declined significantly, but the problem of myopia in children and adolescents still needs attention.

Data photo by Cui Lin

The number of ophthalmologists exceeds 40,000

　　The data shows that the number of ophthalmologists in China was 19,100 in 2003 and reached 44,800 in 2018. As early as 2014, China had 1.13 ophthalmologists for every 50,000 people, exceeding the WHO's requirement for one ophthalmologist for every 50,000 people in a well-off country.

　　In 2018, the number of doctors with cataract surgery capacity in China was 13,835, which was 2.33 times that in 2000 (5,939). The number of professional nurses in ophthalmology has also increased significantly, from 16,100 in 2003, it is expected to have increased to 50,000.

　　In addition, the proportion of middle-level and senior physicians in ophthalmologists and the ratio of ophthalmic medical care are gradually becoming more reasonable. The number of optometrists increased from 1,487 in 2006 to 6,218 in 2018, a four-fold increase.

　　The number of ophthalmic medical service institutions has increased from more than 4,000 in 2006 to more than 6,000 today, an increase of more than 50%. The number of ophthalmic beds increased from more than 40,000 in 2000 to more than 130,000 in 2018, a three-fold increase.

Super 80% high school students myopia

　　After many joint efforts, the domestic ophthalmology medical and health undertakings have developed rapidly.

　　The results of two epidemiological surveys on blindness and visual impairment in nine provinces and cities in 2006 and 2014 showed that the prevalence of blind and moderately severe visually impaired patients in China decreased by 37.8% and 15.4%, respectively, based on daily vision. According to the assessment of best corrected vision, it decreased by 37.6% and 27.2%.

　　According to estimates, among people over 50 years old, the number of blind people in China has decreased by more than 700,000, and the number of patients with severe visual impairment has decreased by more than 500,000.

　　Cataract is China's first blinding eye disease. After all-round long-term efforts, the number of cataract operations per million people in China has increased from 83 in 1988 to 2205 in 2017, an increase of nearly 27 times.

　　According to reports, the cataract surgery coverage rate in China has increased to 62.7%, and the number of cataract surgery cases per million people in China proposed by the “Thirteenth Five-Year Plan for National Eye Health” has reached more than 2,000 by the end of 2020. aims.

　　In addition, the capacity of ophthalmology services in Chinese county-level hospitals has been further improved. At present, about 90% of counties in China have ophthalmic medical institutions, and about 90% of them can independently carry out cataract surgery.

　　However, the prevention and treatment of myopia in children and adolescents is still the focus.

　　According to the survey results published by the National Health and Safety Commission, the overall myopia rate of children and adolescents nationwide in 2018 was 53.6%. Among them, 14.5% are 6-year-old children, 36.0% are elementary school students, 71.6% are junior high school students, and 81.0% are high school students. Myopia in children and adolescents has become the main cause of visual impairment in China. (Finish)