AIMTo estimate the prevalence of blindness due to glaucoma in patients aged 40 years and above attending Tertiary Care Hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODSThe study was conducted in the Department of Ophthalmology, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram. Visual acuity, anterior segment examination and anterior chamber depth assessment by slit lamp, digital tension, non-contact tonometry, confrontation field test, fundus examination, direct ophthalmoscopy and fundus imaging was done. Gonioscopy and automated perimetry was done in glaucoma suspects. RESULTS7600 eyes of 3800 patients were examined, 108 eyes were diagnosed to have glaucoma. Based on the best corrected visual acuity, 15(13.8%) eyes and 8(0.22%) persons had visual impairment and 33(30.5%) eyes and 20(31.7%) persons were blind. The prevalence of glaucoma in eyes was 1.42%. The prevalence of blindness due to glaucoma in eyes was 0.43% and person was 0.52%. The prevalence of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma in eyes was 1%, Primary Angle Closure Glaucoma in eyes was 0.15%, Neovascular glaucoma in eyes was 0.07%, Lens Induced Glaucoma in eyes was 0.17% and Pseudoexfoliative Glaucoma in eyes was 0.03%. IOP>20mmHg was present in 50(36.1%) glaucomatous eyes, majority of the eyes being in Open Angle Glaucoma 24(31.5%) eyes; 58(53.7%) glaucomatous eyes had IOP in the range 11-20mmHg, among them 38 eyes were on treatment and 20 eyes were operated. CONCLUSIONBeing an irreversible disease if diagnosed early, blindness can be avoided. So screening is very important for early diagnosis and their proper management thereon.

To estimate the prevalence of blindness due to posterior segment disorders which include diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, age related macular degeneration in rural area in central India of Wardha District. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Multistage Cluster sampling method was used. Sample size was calculated to be 1400. Door to door examination of 100 people aged 40 years, in each cluster. Demographic information with relevant history, visual acuity, anterior segment examination including AC depth was seen by torch light. Intraocular pressure, and fundus examination for posterior segment patients was done using direct ophthalmoscope. OBSERVATIONS AND RESULTS: Out of 2800 eyes of 1400 individuals, posterior segment disorders were diagnosed in 31 eyes which include Diabetic retinopathy, ARMD and retinal detachment. The Prevalence of Blindness due to Diabetic Retinopathy is 0.035% in 2800 eyes. The Prevalence of blindness due to ARMD in eyes was 0.07%. The prevalence of Blindness due to Retinal Detachment in eye was 0.035%. CONCLUSION: Population based data on the magnitude of disease is essential to plan for required services. This was a population based survey in which door to door examination was done. But Slit lamp biomicroscopy or indirect ophthalmoscopy were not done as they were not feasible in rural survey setup. Therefore, the total prevalence reported may be underestimated.