Visual impairment among eye health workers in a tertiary eye centre in Ghana

Naamuah N Tagoe,Serwaa A Acquah,Benjamin Abaidoo,Vera A Essuman,Dorothy Fiadoyor,Andrew E Akafo,Eileen Buxton,Samuel O Asiedu,George Afenyo,Gladys Fordjuor,Yakubu A Seidu

doi:10.4314/gmj.v55i4.8

Naamuah N Tagoe, Serwaa A Acquah + Show 9 more

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To determine causes of visual impairment (VI) among staff of the Eye Centre at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital. This was a cross-sectional study. The Eye Centre, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), from October 2016 to March 2017 on all consenting members of staff. Eighty-four (79.3%) of 106 consenting staff members participated in this study. A detailed history (demographic, ocular, medical co-morbid conditions), ocular examination and relevant diagnostic investigations were conducted. Interventions initiated included treatment for glaucoma, dry eye and allergic conjunctivitis and spectacles prescription for refractive errors. Prevalence of avoidable causes of VI (glaucoma, cataract, refractive errors). Secondary outcomes included prevalence of unavoidable causes of VI. Eighty-four (79.3%) members of staff participated in this study. Most of the participants were females, 54(64.3 %). Age ranged from 23 to 60 years with an average of 35.8±9.9 years (mean ± SD).Prevalence of VI was 9.5 % (8/84), all due to uncorrected refractive error. Other known causes of VI included open angle glaucoma in 12(14.3 %), macular scar of unknown cause, 1(1.2 %) and sutural cataract, 1(1.2 %) but were all visually insignificant. The prevalence of VI among the staff of the Eye Centre of the KBTH was 9.5 %, all due to refractive errors. Other known causes of avoidable visual impairment and blindness encountered were glaucoma (14.3 %), macular scar (1.2 %) and cataract (1.2 %), all asymptomatic. Routine eye screening should be part of periodic medical examination for employees. None declared.

Highlights

Visual impairment (VI) is a global health problem.[1]
Low vision is defined as visual acuity of less than 6/18 but equal to or better than 3/60, or a corresponding visual field loss to less than 20°, in the better eye with the best possible correction
Blindness is defined as visual acuity of less than 3/60, or a corresponding visual field loss of less than 10°, in the better eye with the best possible correction.[2]

Summary

Introduction

Visual impairment (VI) is a global health problem.[1]. VI includes both low vision and blindness. Low vision is defined as visual acuity of less than 6/18 but equal to or better than 3/60, or a corresponding visual field loss to less than 20°, in the better eye with the best possible correction. Blindness is defined as visual acuity of less than 3/60, or a corresponding visual field loss of less than 10°, in the better eye with the best possible correction.[2]. An estimated 314 million people are visually impaired, of which 45 million are blind.[1]. Eighty per cent of the global visual impairment is avoidable, which is either preventable or treatable.[1]. About 90 % of the world's visually impaired and blind live in low-income settings.[1,3]

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