Visual Impairment and Types of Visual Disorders Among Attendees of an Outreach 21 Clinic for Eye Care in Rural Ghana, 2006

Abstract

Introduction: The international community for eye care has targeted 2020 for eliminating avoidable blindness as a public health problem in the VISION 2020 agenda. However, eye care services in sub-Saharan Africa remain poor. The burden of eye diseases is unknown countrywide and in many rural districts in Ghana.Setting: We present data on patients examined at an outreach clinic for eye disorders in Ejura-Sekyedumase, a rural district in Ghana, in December 2006.Objective: To determine the prevalence of vision impairment among eye clinic attendees. Our aim was to give a profile of eye diseases in the district as baseline data to health authorities for action.Methods: In January 2012, we studied the characteristics of 780 patients examined at an outreach clinic organised in December 2006, in Ejura-Sekyedumasi District, Ghana. We performed descriptive analysis of data from records and reviewed clinic reports.Results: Of 780 patients examined, 704 (90.3%) had a disorder in one or both eyes: 16.2% of all eyes examined were vision impaired while 14.5% of all patients had bilateral vision impairment including blindness. The topmost five eye diseases were allergy, cataract,glaucoma, pterygium and uncorrected refractive errors. Together, these constituted over 84% of all reported eye disorders.Conclusion: There was high prevalence of vision impairment among patients: more than three-quarters of reported visual disorders comprised five conditions namely cataract, glaucoma and uncorrected refractive errors which cause avoidable blindness; and allergy,and pterygium. Health authorities should assess the district prevalence of vision impairment and blindness, and ascertain burden of eye diseases. A sustainable VISION 2020 prevention of blindness programme should be adopted.