Primary eye care in rural sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Primary eye care in rural sub-Saharan Africa is reviewed. In the context of eye care delivered by village health workers (VHW's) living in and supported by the community, such a system of health care does not exist in Africa today. There are no VHW's, and primary health care is currently a matter of experimentation and conjecture only. However, most basic eye care is rendered by non-ophthalmologists; such care consists of screening, treatment of infections and inflammations, and in some cases, cataract surgery. Lower levels of non-ophthalmic general health workers are being tasked to promote measures to prevent trachoma and xerophthalmia/nutritional blindness by intervention at the village level. Preliminary results of such programs are encouraging, and warrant further evaluation and expansion.