Blinding cataract in Morocco

Abstract

A 1992 survey of the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in Morocco identified age-related cataract as the leading cause of blindness [45.5%] and low vision [43.1%]. The prevalence of cataract-related visual impairment was estimated to be 2.1%. Patients who had undergone cataract surgery represented 0.8% of the sample;the demand for surgical care is estimated at 25%. Only 60% of people with aphakia had the necessary corrective lenses. Stigmata/complications of posterior dislocation of the lens by the traditional method of cataract treatment were found in 0.1% of cases examined. Sound and sustained management of the public health problem posed by cataracts would reduce the current prevalence of blindness by about 40%, bringing it down to 0.5%, the long-term objective of the national blindness control programme