American Medical Association: Myopia Recognised as a Disease?
In September 2026, the American Medical Association backed the formal classification of nearsightedness as a disease in the United States, including calling for recognition by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The resolution also supports better access to treatments that can slow myopia progression in children, alongside improved screening and public education.
For families outside the US, including here in the UK, this American decision does not automatically change how myopia is classified, treated or funded. But it represents something important: growing recognition that childhood myopia deserves to be taken seriously as an eye health issue.
Why is myopia more than blurry distance vision?
Myopia occurs when the eye's shape causes incoming light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it. Often, this is because the eye has grown too long from front to back. The result is familiar: nearby objects can be clear while things further away appear blurred. Glasses and contact lenses can correct that blurry vision.
But correcting vision and managing the progression of myopia are not necessarily the same thing.
This distinction is crucial because higher levels of myopia are associated with an increased risk of serious eye conditions, including retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts and myopic maculopathy. Some of these complications can result in permanent loss of vision.
Why is the AMA decision important?
The new American policy matters because the American Medical Association is supporting a shift in how myopia is perceived.
According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the resolution calls not only for formal disease classification but also for insurance coverage of treatments intended to slow myopia progression in children and adolescents, as well as better public education and childhood screening.
That distinction could be significant. If myopia is regarded purely as a refractive error corrected with glasses, the focus can remain on helping someone see clearly today. Recognising progressive childhood myopia as a health issue puts greater emphasis on monitoring how the eye is changing and considering ways to reduce progression.
Myopia is becoming increasingly common
The scale of myopia is another reason attitudes are changing. In America, the number of nearsighted people has nearly doubled over the last 50 years to about 41.6 percent of the population, according to the National Eye Institute. The World Health Organization predicts that, if the current trend continues, half of the world’s population will be nearsighted by 2050, with up to one-fifth at an increased risk of blindness due to complications of high myopia (severe nearsightedness).
The issue is particularly important in childhood because myopia can progress as children grow. The American Academy of Ophthalmology notes that nearsighted children typically become more nearsighted as they get older, with prescriptions commonly stabilising during their twenties.
This makes childhood an important period for identifying and monitoring myopia.
A change in how we think about myopia
Calling myopia a disease may sound like a change in terminology. In reality, the bigger story is a change in mindset. The American Medical Association's decision reflects growing recognition that myopia should not always be dismissed as a problem solved simply by stronger glasses.
Progressive childhood myopia can have implications for long-term eye health, and options now exist that aim to slow its progression.
Understanding your child's myopia, monitoring how it changes and discussing the available management options with an eye care professional can help you make informed decisions about their vision and long-term eye health.
If you want to learn more about myopia management, visit our Complete Guide to Myopia Control.
American Medical Association Backs Formal Classification of Nearsightedness as a Disease
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