ENTOD Pharmaceuticals supports National Myopia Week 2025 with nationwide awareness campaign

ENTOD Pharmaceuticals, in collaboration with the MATANAND Welfare Foundation and the Strabismus and Paediatric Ophthalmological Society of India (SPOSI), is supporting National Myopia Week 2025, a nationwide awareness campaign scheduled from 14 to 20 November 2025. The initiative, themed #OperationMyopia – A Mission to Protect Young Eyes, aims to address the rising incidence of myopia among children and young adults through preventive education, vision screening programmes, and community engagement.

The campaign, beginning on Children’s Day, focuses on encouraging regular eye check-ups, outdoor play, and reduced screen exposure to address what is referred to as India’s “myopia epidemic” among children. ENTOD Pharmaceuticals plans to reach communities through on-ground and digital awareness programmes, sharing information on eye health and the importance of early intervention.

A core feature of the campaign is the Parents’ Myopia Pledge – National Myopia Week 2025, hosted on the official website. Through this initiative, parents are encouraged to commit to annual eye check-ups for their children and to support myopia prevention within their communities. Participants can download an official Myopia Pledge Certificate as part of the campaign.

Dr Jitendra Jethani, Managing Director, Baroda Children Eye Care and Squint Clinic, Vadodara, and SPOSI member, addressed the need for preventive eye care. He said: “We are witnessing a troubling trend where even very young children are developing myopia due to unhealthy lifestyle habits, excessive screen time, academic pressure, and limited outdoor activity. Routine eye examinations from an early age are now essential. Parents, teachers, and doctors must work together to protect children’s visual health. We should urge schools to ensure at least 1.5 hours of outdoor activity per day, or two intervals of 35 minutes each, at least up to 12 years of age or until Grade 6.”

Over the last three years, the National Myopia Week campaign has reached millions of parents, teachers, and children through social media initiatives, press coverage, and school awareness programmes. ENTOD aims to reach more than 7 crore people this year by expanding activities to 450 districts and increasing engagement with schools and communities.

To support this expansion, more than 2,500 doctors and 5,000 volunteers have been involved in awareness activities nationwide. These include ophthalmologist-led school sessions, vision screening camps, and workshops on eye health. Clinics and hospitals will distribute informational leaflets in regional languages on preventive eye care.

Mr Nikkhil K Masurkar, Executive Director of ENTOD Pharmaceuticals, highlighted the need for early action. He said: “Global trends are deeply concerning. Studies suggest that by 2050, nearly half of the world’s population may be affected by myopia. With #OperationMyopia, our mission is to create a nationwide movement that promotes early eye check-ups and empowers families to protect children’s vision health.”

Radio awareness programmes and local outreach activities are also being conducted in cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Lucknow, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Coimbatore, Pune, Patna, and Kolkata. Supported by Red FM, these drives aim to expand the reach of the campaign and encourage public participation.

ENTOD Pharmaceuticals continues its efforts to address myopia through awareness, innovation, and preventive care as part of its commitment to protecting eye health for future generations.