As many as 1.73 lakh children in Karnataka were found to be suffering from refractive errors, possibly due to excessive use of mobile phone and TV.
According to the ‘School Children Eye Screening’ report for the 2022-23 academic year, which was the outcome of a survey by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in March 2023, of the total screened children (62,08,779), 1,73,099 children were suffering from refractive errors. The highest number of such cases were in Belagavi district (39,997).
School children eye screening findings & corrective action
| Jurisdiction | Children screened | Detected refractive error | Provided glasses |
| Belagavi | 6,74,939 | 39,997 | 15,313 |
| Vijayapura | 3,60,533 | 13,170 | 2,572 |
| BBMP | 3,11,237 | 10,193 | 2,555 |
| Davangere | 1,41,931 | 6,348 | 2,231 |
| Ballari | 2,34,661 | 6,333 | 3,090 |
| Bidar | 1,88,220 | 5,677 | 2,787 |
Under the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), the Department of Health and Family Welfare conducted the screening, including for eyes, anaemia, malnutrition, and worms, for children of government, aided and private schools across Karnataka
In the academic year 2022-23, the department had a target of 64,48,793 students for eye screening. The department screened 62,08,779 children.
The screening revealed that 39,997 children in Belagavi district suffer from refractive errors. The number for Vijayapura is 13,170, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) limits 10,193 cases, Davangere 6,348, Shivamogga 5,837 and Bidar has 5,677 such cases.
The department has distributed 88,210 free glasses to children suffering from refractive errors.
Experts opine that excessive use of mobile phones and TV screens is the main reason for the problem.
Dr. Shyama Sundar, Joint Director, National Programme for Control of Blindness, Department of Health, told The Hindu, “In recent days, mobile addiction among children has increased on account of virtual classes, need to share information and notes through mobile phones. Children are addicted to the mobile phone and social media. Instead of extracurricular activities, children prefer to spend their time in front of either the mobile phone or TV screens. During the covid-19 pandemic and post pandemic, the usage of mobile phone was excessive among children. Watching the screen continuously for a long time will hurt the eyes, and they become tired. This is the main reason for school children suffering from refractive errors.
“Children should not be glued to mobile phone and TV screens for a long time. They should have sufficient sleep — at least 8 hours a day. They should have nutritious food, like fruits and vegetables, which have highest amount of vitamin A. Children suffering from refractive errors must wear glasses. Our department is creating awareness among children and parents about this problem,” he added.
The Department of School Education and Literacy has ordered the Deputy Directors of Public Instruction (DDPIs) to create awareness among the students and parents. Samagra Shikshana Karnataka has issued a circular in this regard, and said that excessive use of mobile phones and mobile addiction has led to visual impairment among children.
