Eight ministries and departments including the Ministry of Education and the National Health Commission have recently jointly issued a plan to prevent shortsightedness among children and teenagers around the country.

The plan, released by the Ministry of Education, the National Health Commission and six other government departments, aims to reduce the overall myopia rate among teenagers by more than 0.5 percentage points per year from 2018 until 2023. Provinces with a high incidence of myopia are required to cut at least 1 percentage point per year. By 2030, the myopia rate for 6-year-old children should be below 3 percent, for primary school students, below 38 percent, for middle school students, below 60 percent, and for high school students, below 70 percent.

The document clarifies the responsibilities of families, schools, students, medical organizations and governments in curbing the rise of shortsightedness among children. Schools are required to reduce students' academic burden and must meet the requirements for classroom lighting, They should also ensure that primary and middle school students get at least one hour's physical exercise every day. Medical organizations are required to establish electronic records of the visual health of children.