Visual impairment from age-related cataract among an indigenous African population

Abstract

Aim To determine the magnitude of visual impairment (VI) resulting from lens opacity/ cataract among a rural population in southwestern Nigeria. Method A population-based cross-sectional survey using a multistage sampling method to select subjects X50 years. Participants with pinhole visual acuity of p6/18 in their better eye, exclusively from lens opacity/cataract, were further examined by an ophthalmologist.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Lens Opacities in Nigeria: Results of the National Blindness and Low Vision Survey

“…Hence, the results from this paper can be compared with papers using the LOCS II system for those with grades 0 to 3, but not grades 7 to 9. 17 In this survey, CO was the most frequent type, followed by NO, and then PSC, a finding reported in another study in western Nigeria (Table 5), 18 Tanzania, 19 and surveys in Barbados 20 and in the United States of people of African descent, 21 and Sri Lanka. 22 This contrasts with surveys in India, 6,23,24 Australia, 25 Taiwan, 26 Finland, 27 China, 28 and Myanmar where NO predominated.…”

Cataract and associated factors among adults visiting ophthalmic clinic at Debre Markos comprehensive specialized hospital, northwest Ethiopia, 2020

“…11 From the total of 285 million peoples with visual impairment in the world, 90% live in rural areas with few or underutilized eye-care facilities. 12 In the world, 82% of the blinds and 65% of people with low vision are aged ⩾52 years and 80% of the causes are either preventable or curable. 11…”

“…3 Age-related cataract remains the world’s leading cause of curable blindness 9 and is the main target of VISION 2020 “the Right to sight.” WHO and the International Agency for the prevention of blindness are directed at eliminating avoidable blindness by the year 2020 and its successful implementation requires accurate community-based data because studies done using a rapid assessment of cataract surgical service, which is a WHO validated research tool, tend to underestimate the true burden of cataract visual disability. 12…”

Comparison of Cataract Surgery Techniques: Safety, Efficacy, and Cost-Effectiveness

“…The disease presents a significant public health challenge and is responsible for a visual acuity (VA) of 6/60 or worse in more than 100 million eyes (4). In most developing countries, blindness is associated with considerable economic and social implications, which im-pacts on the current difficulties of vulnerable populations who reside in underserved areas (5). An estimated 90% of people who have cataracts reside in developing countries, which have limited capacity, infrastructure, and technology to care for the visually impaired (4).…”