But new projections from the Brien Holden Vision Institute predicting 46 per cent of the world's population would be myopic in the next 35 years was cause for great concern, the non-profit research organisation said.

More than 1.45 billion people around the world currently suffer from myopia, with the number estimated to rise to approximately 4 billion by 2050, according to the institute's chief executive Brien Holden.

Despite Australia's "high", or severe, myopia only sitting at a rate of 3 to 4 per cent compared to countries like South Korea, which was at 20 per cent, any rise in high myopia levels is a huge issue, Professor Holden said.

In the US, the prevalence of myopia for those aged between 12 and 54 years of age has increased from 25 per cent to 40 per cent since the early 1970s.

Kathryn Rose, the head of orthoptics at the University of Technology, said environmental factors played a huge role in the prevalence of myopia.

"Levels of myopia appear to be rising and in some places quite dramatically. Such rapid changes can't be genetic, they have to be environmentally driven," Professor Rose said.

Spending 14 hours or more time outdoors per week can reduce myopia by up to one third, according to findings from the International Society for Eye Research.

"You really need to prevent the development of myopia, the only known prevention right now is to spend more time outdoors," Professor Rose said.

"That does not mean you can't do reading or close work, we have been able to show very clearly that children who do high levels of near work, as long as they are also spending moderate to high levels outdoors, are still protected."

The increasing rate leads to the greater risk of severe eye conditions such as open angle glaucoma and retinal detachment and causes social and economic loss for hundreds of millions of people.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) analysis, showed untreated myopia to be the main cause of visual impairment costing $US140 billion per year in the world.

Professor Holden said eye check ups and appropriate treatments in slowing the progress of myopia were crucial in reducing the prevalence of higher stages of impairment.

"One of the most important things is to get the message out that every child going into secondary school, and preferably every child going into primary school, should go get their eyes examined," he said.

"That will give the opportunity for parents to find out if their child is shortsighted and to take measures."

Professor Holden said trials for myopia control contact lenses were tested in China resulting in about 50 per cent reduction in the rate of increase of myopia.

"They are very effective and we will be taking those into clinical trials in the next three to five years."

Professor Rose said the concern of the prevalence of myopia lies with its direct correlation to the prevalence of high myopia which is a huge worldwide concern.

"The really worrying aspect about it is, where the prevalence of myopia is going up we notice the prevalence of high myopia is also escalating," Professor Rose said.

"That's a very big problem."