A comprehensive series of awareness programs on National Myopia Week was successfully conducted across nine leading educational institutions in Kota, Rajasthan, during November 14-20, 2025. Renowned ophthalmologist, author, and motivational speaker Dr. Suresh Kumar Pandey, Director of SuVi Eye Hospital Kota, addressed approximately 10,000 students with the central message of “Screens Down, Eyes Up!” – the official 2025 theme for National Myopia Week. The educational initiative aimed to equip children with evidence-based, practical strategies to combat the rapidly escalating myopia epidemic affecting India’s youth. The programs were systematically organized across nine prominent educational institutions in Kota including Sophia Girl’s Senior Secondary School, Saint John’s Senior Secondary School, Mahatma Gandhi Government Senior Secondary School Gumanpura, Mahatma Gandhi Government Girls Senior Secondary School Badi Maharani Rampura, Abhinav Senior Secondary School, Kilkari English Medium School Unit 1 and Unit 2, Central Academy Senior Secondary School, and Swami Vivekanand Vidhya Niketan Senior Secondary School. Each institution demonstrated significant engagement from students and faculty members, creating a receptive environment for comprehensive eye health education.
Dr. Pandey employed an innovative pedagogical strategy to establish immediate emotional resonance with the student audience. He initiated each program by requesting students to close their eyes and contemplate life without vision—unable to appreciate nature’s beauty, study effectively, or perform routine daily tasks independently. This experiential exercise created a profound awareness of vision’s intrinsic value and established a compelling foundation for the subsequent educational content. Following this introspective exercise, Dr. Pandey presented alarming epidemiological data regarding myopia prevalence in India. He highlighted that approximately 30 percent of Indian children aged 8 to 15 years currently suffer from myopia, with this percentage increasing significantly each year. Drawing comparative analysis with other South Asian nations, he emphasized that Singapore, China, Japan, South Korea, and Thailand have reported myopia prevalence exceeding 80 percent in pediatric populations. Dr. Pandey expressed concern that India is unfortunately following an identical trajectory, making urgent preventive intervention imperative for the nation’s youth population.
The primary culprit behind this epidemic, Dr. Pandey explained, is excessive utilization of digital devices including mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and televisions, which severely compromises the eye’s natural ability to focus on distant objects. He explained the physiological mechanisms by which continuous screen exposure causes eye fatigue, increases axial length of the eyeball, and accelerates myopia progression. This scientific explanation provided students with a clear understanding of cause-and-effect relationships between behavioral choices and ocular health outcomes. Dr. Pandey elaborated on the National Myopia Week theme “Screens Down, Eyes Up!” by explaining that reducing screen time and increasing focus on natural elements, open skies, and distant objects directly correlates with better eye health. He emphasized that continuous screen exposure not only causes immediate eye fatigue but also triggers long-term structural changes in the eye that lead to permanent refractive errors if intervention is delayed.
Dr. Pandey presented comprehensive preventive strategies grounded in contemporary ophthalmological research. The most critical recommendation was the 20-20-20 rule, whereby every 20 minutes of screen time, individuals should focus on an object 20 feet away for 20 seconds, allowing ocular muscles to relax and reducing accommodative stress. He recommended at least one hour of weekly outdoor play in natural sunlight as this significantly strengthens children’s eyes and decelerates myopia progression through dopamine release. Dr. Pandey stressed the importance of maintaining appropriate distances while reading and using digital screens to prevent excessive accommodation demands on the visual system. He advised students against excessive eye rubbing, a common habit that can accelerate myopia progression and cause additional ocular complications. Consuming nutritious food rich in vitamins and minerals essential for ocular health was emphasized as a foundational aspect of comprehensive eye care. Dr. Pandey recommended scheduling professional eye examinations every six months for early detection and intervention, allowing ophthalmologists to monitor changes and recommend appropriate treatment modalities. He also introduced the concept of implementing a weekly “Digital Detox Day” for families to disconnect from screens and engage in meaningful outdoor activities together, thereby promoting both eye health and family bonding.
A crucial emphasis of Dr. Pandey’s presentation involved the remarkable physiological role of natural sunlight and dopamine in strengthening children’s eyes. He explained that outdoor exposure triggers dopamine release in the retina, which plays a protective role in preventing myopia progression. This scientific foundation provided students with a biological rationale for prioritizing outdoor activities over digital screen time. Dr. Pandey introduced students to cutting-edge treatment approaches that have demonstrated efficacy in controlling myopia progression. He specifically highlighted low-dose atropine eye drops in 0.01 percent and 0.05 percent concentrations, which have proven highly effective in the United States and Singapore for slowing myopia progression. Significantly, he revealed that this innovative treatment modality is now being successfully implemented by ophthalmologists across India, representing a major advancement in pediatric myopia management and offering hope to millions of Indian children at risk of progressive myopia.
During the conclusion of programs at each participating institution, Dr. Pandey presented his published works to school principals, recognizing the importance of disseminating comprehensive eye health knowledge. He shared two significant publications that reflect his extensive experience and commitment to advancing ophthalmological practice. His first work, “An Eye for the Sky: How an Eye Surgeon Helped Millions Dare to Dream,” (Amazon link: https://www.amazon.in/Eye-Sky-Surgeon-Helped-Millions/dp/0143459031), documents Dr. Pandey’s inspiring journey in ophthalmology and his mission to enhance vision accessibility globally. His second publication, “Diary of an Eye Surgeon: My Experience in India, USA and Australia,” (link: https://www.amazon.in/Diary-Eye-Surgeon-Experiences-Australia/dp/8119099133), provides a comprehensive account sharing Dr. Pandey’s professional experiences and insights from his practice across three continents. This work offers valuable perspectives on contemporary ophthalmological practice, patient care approaches, and the evolution of eye care services across different healthcare systems. These presentations underscored the importance of professional literature in advancing public health awareness and demonstrated Dr. Pandey’s multifaceted commitment to knowledge dissemination beyond clinical practice.
Throughout all programs, students demonstrated enthusiastic participation, posing numerous questions regarding myopia prevention, treatment options, and lifestyle modifications. Dr. Pandey addressed each inquiry with clarity, employing simple language and compelling real-life examples that resonated with the student audience. This interactive approach ensured comprehensive understanding and facilitated the adoption of recommended eye care practices among young learners. The questions ranged from concerns about existing myopia to practical strategies for implementation in daily routines, demonstrating genuine student interest in protecting their vision health.
At the conclusion of each program, school administrators and staff members honored Dr. Pandey with bouquets and commemorative mementos, expressing gratitude on behalf of their school communities. School leadership acknowledged that the knowledge and guidance provided by Dr. Pandey would prove invaluable throughout students’ lifetimes and significantly contribute to long-term vision health outcomes. Students collectively pledged to maintain digital balance and adopt healthy eye care practices as essential daily habits. The message “Screens Down, Eyes Up!” resonated throughout all participating institutions, establishing a unified community commitment to myopia prevention and ocular health promotion. School principals emphasized that integrating this eye health awareness into school curricula would create lasting behavioral changes among students.
The initiative received substantial support from key organizations and partners including the Strabismus and Pediatric Ophthalmology Society India, Matanand Welfare Foundation, and Entod Pharmaceuticals, along with special contributions from Shri Dev Sharma and Shri Sunil Saxena. This multi-stakeholder collaboration demonstrated comprehensive community-wide commitment to combating the myopia epidemic and fostering a generation of children with healthy vision and sustainable digital habits. The National Myopia Week programs in Kota represent a significant advancement in pediatric eye health education in India. By reaching 10,000 students across multiple educational institutions, the initiative has amplified awareness regarding ocular health among young populations during a critical developmental period. The evidence-based information provided, combined with practical behavioral recommendations and innovative treatment modalities, establishes a foundation for sustained improvement in vision health outcomes across the participating institutions and potentially throughout the broader Kota community and beyond.