Management plan for childhood visual impairment in traditional quranic boarding schools in Al-Gazira State of Sudan

Abstract

Background: Childhood blindness and visual impairment (VI) in poor nations is a public health concern. It has a serious effect on the education and social, the VI could lead to poverty, in spite of that most causes childhood VI could be treated when early diagnosed. Objective: This study aimed to recommend a management plan to prevent childhood VI for Quranic boarding schools in Al-Gazira state. Materials and Methods: The study focused first on direct action taken on cases of VI among the children. Second, the study created a management plan for childhood blindness and VI in Quranic boarding school children in Al-Gazira state of Sudan. The Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis is used to help in evaluate and reinforce this plan. Results: The finding depends on a study conducted in 2017 to detect the prevalence and causes of childhood blindness and VI in Quranic boarding school children in Al-Gazira state of Sudan, and the action has taken for children after full eye examinations and diagnosis. The main action took to prevent VI was a correction of refractive errors, which was 42%, followed by 18% of children referred to specialized hospitals to operation because of cataract, corneal opacity, and glaucoma for follow-up. The study recommended a management plan for this community, and it targeted the avoidable cause of childhood blindness in the Quranic schools. The management plan designed in four levels as follows: a pre-primary level, which depends on trained Quranic teachers, then primary level, this level designed for actions or interventions should be taken to prevent the onset of the disorders. The secondary level planned to combat the progression of visual disorders due to an existing disease or refractive errors, finally, tertiary level for complicated eye disorder and follow-up. Conclusion: Regular checkup and good primary, secondary, and tertiary eye care and personnel trained in primary eye care are important for the management of avoidable causes of blindness and VI in traditional Quranic boarding schools in Al-Gazira state of Sudan.