Epidemiología de la ceguera y baja visión en Etiopía

Abstract

Purpose: To asses the magnitude of blindness and low vision in Ethiopia, with special attention in trachoma due to the high prevalence of this disease. Ethiopia is considered a developing country in which blindness and low vision is a public health priority. Methods: We present different surveys about the distribution of blindness and low vision in Ethiopia with attention to the National survey on blindness, low vision and trachoma, carried out by Federal Ministry of Health. A cross sectional study using a multi-stage cluster sampling from year 2005 to 2006, the sample included 6.056 households and 30.022 individuals, all of them examined by nurses and ophthalmologists Results: Prevalence of blindness 1.6% and low vision 3.7%, and more prevalent in women. The major causes of blindness are cataracts (49.9%), corneal opacity due to trachoma (11.5%), refractive errors (7.8%), other corneal opacities (7.8) glaucoma (5.2%), macular degeneration (4.8%). The major causes of low vision are cataracts (42.3%), refractive errors (33.4%), corneal opacity due to trachoma (7.7), macular degeneration (4.6%). The prevalence in children in the age group 1 to 9 years is 40.1%. Conclusions: It is estimated that exists in Ethiopia 1.2 million blind people and 2.8 million people with low vision. Large proportion of blindness (87.4%) and low vision (91.2%) are due to avoidable cause, therefore, it is necessary to set up programs and strategies to solve this dramatic public health problem.