Does blindness count? Disability weights for vision loss

Braithwaite, Tasanee; Taylor, Hugh R.; Bourne, Rupert; Keeffe, Jill; Pesudovs, Konrad

doi:10.1111/ceo.12874

Cited by 10 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…For the first time in our reports, we have incorporated YLDs into our analysis. Although VLEG remains concerned over the disproportionally low disability weights assigned to blindness and vision impairment, 39,40 these disabilities are responsible for 2•6% (95% UI 2•2-3•2) of total global YLDs, and are highly ranked against other agerelated diseases. 24 Younger people with blindness (and moderate and severe vision impairment) are more likely to have an irreversible cause of vision impairment than older people.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment over 30 years: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study

Bourne¹,

Steinmetz²,

Flaxman³

et al. 2021

The Lancet Global Health

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733

297

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Summary Background To contribute to the WHO initiative, VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, an assessment of global vision impairment in 2020 and temporal change is needed. We aimed to extensively update estimates of global vision loss burden, presenting estimates for 2020, temporal change over three decades between 1990–2020, and forecasts for 2050. Methods We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based surveys of eye disease from January, 1980, to October, 2018. Only studies with samples representative of the population and with clearly defined visual acuity testing protocols were included. We fitted hierarchical models to estimate 2020 prevalence (with 95% uncertainty intervals [UIs]) of mild vision impairment (presenting visual acuity ≥6/18 and <6/12), moderate and severe vision impairment (<6/18 to 3/60), and blindness (<3/60 or less than 10° visual field around central fixation); and vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia (presenting near vision

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment over 30 years: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study

Bourne¹,

Steinmetz²,

Flaxman³

et al. 2021

The Lancet Global Health

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733

297

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“…There are multiple explanations for this variation. 146 First, the construct being measured shifted over time from loss of wellbeing (disability) to loss of health. Second, studies described the impact on health states differently.…”

Section: Disability Weights For Vision Impairmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…152 In view of the wide range and major implications that this figure has on how vision loss is valued, further empirical research is urgently needed to understand societal valuations of vision impairment and reach a broad, evidence-based consensus of weights that should be applied, possibly allowing for the use of different weights in different settings. 146…”

Section: Disability Weights For Vision Impairmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020

Burton

Ramke

Marques

et al. 2021

The Lancet Global Health

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818

572

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Eye health is essential to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals; vision needs to be reframed as a development issue There is extensive evidence showing that improving eye health contributes directly and indirectly to achieving many Sustainable Development Goals, including reducing poverty and improving work productivity, general and mental health, and education and equity. Improving eye health is a practical and cost-effective way of unlocking human potential. Eye health needs to be reframed as an enabling, cross-cutting issue within the sustainable development framework. Almost everyone will experience impaired vision or an eye condition during their lifetime and require eye care services; urgent action is necessary to meet the rapidly growing eye health need In 2020, 1•1 billion people had distance vision impairment or uncorrected presbyopia. By 2050, this figure is expected to rise to 1•8 billion. Most affected people live in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) with avoidable causes of vision impairment. During the life course, most people will experience vision impairment, even if just the need for reading glasses. Because of unmet needs and an ageing global population, eye health is a major public health and sustainable development concern which warrants urgent political action. Eye health is an essential component of universal health coverage; it must be included in planning, resourcing, and delivery of health care Universal health coverage is not universal without affordable, high quality, equitable eye care. In line with the WHO World report on vision, we urge countries to consider eye care as an essential service within universal health coverage. To deliver comprehensive services including promotion, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, eye care needs to be included in national strategic health plans and development policies, health financing structures, and health workforce planning. Coordinated intersectoral action is needed to systematically improve population eye health, also within healthy ageing initiatives, schools, and the workplace. Integration of eye health services with multiple relevant components of health service delivery and at all levels of the health system is of central importance.

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“…104 Significant debate in the literature about the validity of methods used to derive recent figures has ensued, with researchers ascribing poor face validity of assessment methods as a factor for unreasonably low estimates for vision impairment and blindness compared to previous values in 2004. [105][106][107] Global Health Estimates (GHEs) have been provided by the WHO in recent years to counter these low values, but in spite of revisions, current disability weights for vision impairment and blindness are still substantially lower than those from 2004. 104 Disability weights have been used as inputs in economic evaluations of myopia for quantifying indirect costs to society, including lost productivity.…”

Section: Patient-reported Outcomes -Quality Of Life and Myopiamentioning

confidence: 99%

IMI Impact of Myopia

Sankaridurg

Tahhan

Kandel

et al. 2021

Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci.

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210

141

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The global burden of myopia is growing. Myopia affected nearly 30% of the world population in 2020 and this number is expected to rise to 50% by 2050. This review aims to analyze the impact of myopia on individuals and society; summarizing the evidence for recent research on the prevalence of myopia and high myopia, lifetime pathological manifestations of myopia, direct health expenditure, and indirect costs such as lost productivity and reduced quality of life (QOL). The principal trends are a rising prevalence of myopia and high myopia, with a disproportionately greater increase in the prevalence of high myopia. This forecasts a future increase in vision loss due to uncorrected myopia as well as high myopia-related complications such as myopic macular degeneration. QOL is affected for those with uncorrected myopia, high myopia, or complications of high myopia. Overall the current global cost estimates related to direct health expenditure and lost productivity are in the billions. Health expenditure is greater in adults, reflecting the added costs due to myopia-related complications. Unless the current trajectory for the rising prevalence of myopia and high myopia change, the costs will continue to grow. The past few decades have seen the emergence of several novel approaches to prevent and slow myopia. Further work is needed to understand the life-long impact of myopia on an individual and the cost-effectiveness of the various novel approaches in reducing the burden.

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Does blindness count? Disability weights for vision loss

Cited by 10 publications

References 23 publications

Trends in prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment over 30 years: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study

Trends in prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment over 30 years: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study

The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020

IMI Impact of Myopia

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