Amblyopia and Visual Impairments in Children: Trends and Solutions

Amblyopia (”lazy eye”) is the most common refractive anomaly among children in Bulgaria. This is a direct reflection of the modern way of life and the excessive use of electronic devices. Following it, in second place is hypermetropia, and in third - astigmatism. This was stated by Prof. Alexander Oskar during the National Symposium "Neuro-ophthalmology - theory and practice", organized by the Bulgarian Society of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Neuro-ophthalmology and Ophthalmogenetics, which brings together leading specialists from the world and Bulgaria.

Prof. Oskar added that children with myopia are increasingly encountered, without their parents suffering from it. It is believed that if we maintain the same pace, by 2050 more than half of the world's population will have myopia, he commented.

According to him, nearly 3% of the world's population lives with some form of visual impairment, and in half of these people this problem could be prevented if diagnosed in time. Over 160 million people have severe visual impairment, and they are of active working age. In Europe, 90 million people have visual impairments - one in 30 people has a serious visual impairment, Oskar added.

This event is important for the health community as a whole because it combines science, clinical practice and patient care, said the Minister of Health, Silvi Kirilov, at the opening of the event. Neuro-ophthalmology is a good example of how science and practice work in symbiosis to achieve success. The current forum provides a platform for uniting scientific achievements with clinical experience, the health minister pointed out.

The discussions, professional experience and new ideas that are shared here will find a place both in everyday practice and in future scientific developments, he assured. According to him, in times when medical challenges are becoming more and more complex, we must ensure that Bulgarian specialists are prepared, have access to modern knowledge and resources, and that patients receive care at the highest level.