Planet of the Myopes: Can Contact Lenses for Kids Solve the World’s Vision Problem?

The screens we can’t seem to live without are contributing to alarming rates of myopia, or nearsightedness, around the world. Cooper is betting contact lenses that slow the condition are a viable solution, but will kids wear them?

Key Takeaways

  • By 2050, half the global population is expected to suffer from myopia.
  • Smartphone use and other activities requiring close-up vision are contributing to the problem.
  • The key is to intervene with treatment early in life because myopia that starts in childhood makes a person more prone to cataracts, glaucoma, and retinal detachment.
  • Cooper, the world’s No. 2 maker of contact lenses, has one of the only approved products to treat myopia in children.

Watch the video below to learn about this new frontier in vision care.

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Contributors

Portfolio Manager and Analyst Patrick Todd, CFA, contributed research and viewpoints to this piece.

Disclosures

The “Fundamental Thinking” series presents the perspectives of Harding Loevner’s analysts on a range of investment topics, highlighting our fundamental research and providing insight into how we approach quality growth investing. For more detailed information regarding particular investment strategies, please visit our website, www.hardingloevner.com. Any statements made by employees of Harding Loevner are solely their own and do not necessarily express or relate to the views or opinions of Harding Loevner.

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