R Dandona1, L Dandona. 1. Centre for Social Services, Administrative Staff College of India, Hyderabad, India. rakhi@asci.org.in
Abstract
AIM: To estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness in children in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. METHODS: These data were obtained as part of two population based studies in which 6935 children <or=15 years of age participated. Blindness was defined as presenting distance visual acuity <6/60 in the better eye. RESULTS: The prevalence of childhood blindness was 0.17% (95% confidence interval 0.09 to 0.30). Treatable refractive error caused 33.3% of the blindness, followed by 16.6% due to preventable causes (8.3% each due to vitamin A deficiency and amblyopia after cataract surgery). The major causes of the remaining blindness included congenital eye anomalies (16.7%) and retinal degeneration (16.7%). CONCLUSION: In the context of Vision 2020, the priorities for action to reduce childhood blindness in India are refractive error, cataract related amblyopia, and corneal diseases.
AIM: To estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness in children in the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. METHODS: These data were obtained as part of two population based studies in which 6935 children <or=15 years of age participated. Blindness was defined as presenting distance visual acuity <6/60 in the better eye. RESULTS: The prevalence of childhood blindness was 0.17% (95% confidence interval 0.09 to 0.30). Treatable refractive error caused 33.3% of the blindness, followed by 16.6% due to preventable causes (8.3% each due to vitamin A deficiency and amblyopia after cataract surgery). The major causes of the remaining blindness included congenital eye anomalies (16.7%) and retinal degeneration (16.7%). CONCLUSION: In the context of Vision 2020, the priorities for action to reduce childhood blindness in India are refractive error, cataract related amblyopia, and corneal diseases.
Authors: L Dandona; R Dandona; M Srinivas; P Giridhar; K Vilas; M N Prasad; R K John; C A McCarty; G N Rao Journal: Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci Date: 2001-04 Impact factor: 4.799
Authors: A Kalia; T Gandhi; G Chatterjee; P Swami; H Dhillon; S Bi; N Chauhan; S D Gupta; P Sharma; S Sood; S Ganesh; U Mathur; P Sinha Journal: Public Health Date: 2017-02-01 Impact factor: 2.427