Singaporeans, who hold the dubious distinction of being the most short-sighted people on earth, are flocking to eye centers for corrective laser surgery after a sharp drop in charges, a report said Monday.

There has been a 40 to 50 percent annual rise in the number of myopic Sing-aporeans going for “Lasik” surgery, which eliminates the need for spectacles or contact lenses, the Straits Times said. The cost of the relatively simple operation has dropped to as low as 1,320 Singapore dollars (780 US) per eye, about 40 percent lower than a year ago, after prices were slashed amid competition from neighbouring countries.

Four out of five Singaporean male adults suffer from some form of shortsightedness, making the island a major market for the optical industry. The government-run Singapore Natio-nal Eye Center said on its website that it still does not have a complete explanation for the development of myopia in Sing-apore, a predominantly ethnic Chinese city-state.

It said genetic factors combined with environmental influences could explain the rapid increase in prevalence of myopia over the past three generations. Surveys have indicated that myopia afflicts 25 percent of seven year olds, 50 percent of of 12-year-olds and more than 80 percent of 18-year-old males in Sing-apore. - AFP