Cataract blindness and barriers to cataract surgical intervention in three rural communities of Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The study was a community based field survey that used a rapid assessment method to determine the prevalence of cataract blindness in people aged 50 years and above in 3 rural communities.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of cataract blindness and barriers to cataract surgical intervention in an area served by a health facility managed by a tertiary institution.

Method: Abedo, Akinyele and Ketepe Villages in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State Nigeria were selected based on their nearness to the primary health care centre in Abedo.

Result: A total of 477 persons aged 50 years and above were seen being 73.3 percent of expected. Those with visual acuity of less than 3/60 in an eye and those with visual acuity of less than 3/60 in the better eye were examined in more details using a pen torch, an ophthalmoscope and tonometer to determine the cause of blindness. All persons who have had surgery were examined. The prevalence of blindness in persons aged 50 years and above was 1.47% and that of cataract blindness in the same age group in the villages was 0.84% constituting 57.14% of blindness. The main barriers to hospital presentation were cost of surgery (52.8%) and distance to hospital (33.8%). The constraints and limitations encountered during the study included rural-urban migration and population discrepancies between what obtained at the villages and those supplied by the Local Government Population Commission.

Conclusion: It is hoped that this study will serve as a preliminary survey and a base line for further studies and the initiation of a blindness prevention programme in the area.