On December 29, 2021, The Chinese Preventive Medicine Association (CPMA) released the list of winning projects for the CPMA Science and Technology Award in 2021. Professor Tao Fangbiao’s team at AHMU received the honour of the first prize for their work on Intervention and Appropriate Technical Development and Application for Prevention and Control of Myopia in Children and Adolescents.
Professor Tao Fangbiao’s team has been closely following the national strategy for myopia prevention and control, insisting on applied research and technological transformation. Over the past 10 years, they have systematically investigated and evaluated a variety of environmental and behavioral factors associated with myopia among Chinese children and adolescents, as well as proposed pertinent etiological factors and intervention measures. Since 2012, they have pioneered a randomized controlled trial for public health interventions for myopia in children and adolescents across the country, forged intervention approaches and appropriate techniques, as well as suggested an approach that takes into account the entire lifespan myopia prevention and control and the combination of the total population with high-risk groups. Meanwhile, their research findings have been incorporated into national health industry standards: Guidelines for Preventing and Controlling Myopia in Children and Adolescents During Home Quarantine of Infectious Disease Epidemic and Guidelines on Appropriate Techniques for Prevention and Control of Myopia in Children and Adolescents and their updates. Such work they have done in the field of myopia prevention in children and adolescents has advanced social services and prevention progress nationwide, as they have made significant contributions to addressing crucial issues.
The CPMA Science and Technology Award, approved by the National Office for Science and Technology Awards in 2006, is the first scientific and technological award in the field of public health and preventive medicine in China. It was evaluated and awarded once every two years. As the first professional award for public health and preventive medicine in China, the prize can only be won by research teams that have made remarkable achievements.