Abstract
AIMS—A population based survey of blindness and visual impairment was conducted in the district of Bossangoa, Central African Republic. Methods—A total of 48 communities were randomly selected, and 6086 people examined. RESULTS—The prevalence of blindness (visual acuity in the better eye less than 3/60) was 2.2%, and visual impairment 3.0% (6/24 to 3/60 in the better eye). The major causes of blindness were onchocerciasis (73.1%), cataract (16.4%), trachoma (4.5%), and glaucoma (2.2%). CONCLUSION—Around 95.5% of all blindness could potentially have been prevented or treated. Ivermectin mass distribution is hoped to prevent 50% of all forms of visual loss in the future.
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Selected References
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