Poverty and Eye Health

Abstract

Poverty and eye health, including vision disability from vision impairment and blindness, are believed to be interrelated. The relationship between poverty and eye health can be interpreted as being twofold , in the sense that poverty may be a cause of poor eye health and poor eye health may lead to or deepen poverty. Evidence shows that the burden of vision impairment is high in poor people and vision impairment and poverty are linked to each other. However the empirical evidence to answer the questions-Does poverty perpetuate poor eye health? How and why? Does poor eye health deepen poverty?-is sparse globally; especially from low and middle income countries (LMICs). This article therefore aims to examine published information and other secondary data sources that provide insight on the relationship between poverty and eye health, including eye disability caused from vision impairment and blindness. The article provides a conceptual understanding of poverty related attributes that contribute to eye disability from vision impairment and blindness, using evidence sourced from poverty and eye health research studies. The article interrogates general theories and beliefs that have been conceptualised in relation to the impact that the vicious cycle of poverty has on eye health and the contribution of poor eye health on an individual's poverty status. The major outcomes of this article include: 1) identifying gaps in linking poverty and eye health, 2) establishing key issues that will assist in the development of a theoretical framework, and 3) preparing more appropriately for further investigation on the association between poverty and eye health.

Situational analysis of communication of HIV and AIDS information to persons with visual impairment: a case of Kang’onga Production Centre in Ndola, Zambia

“…These findings are in affirmation with other research findings conducted in several other countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique, Rwanda and Uganda which have shown that many health practitioners lack the necessary skills to adequately respond to the needs of persons with visual impairments [21]. …”

The burden of ocular diseases in an underdeveloped village in Southwest Sumba, Eastern Indonesia, 2016

“…1 Low socio-economic status, lack of awareness, and limited access to eye care services increase the risk of blindness. 2 World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the Universal Eye Health Global Action Plan 2014-2019, which aims to reduce avoidable blindness by 25% in 2020. 3 To this end, WHO promotes the assessment of magnitude and causes of visual impairment by implementing eye care services and encourages the development and implementation of integrated national eye health policies.…”

Access barriers to visual health

“…Unlike these countries, people with little resources have limited access to visual health services due to geographical and economic barriers, as well as to barriers related with little knowledge on visual health, in addition to unsatisfactory clinical services (45).…”