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. 2020 Apr;104(4):588-592.
doi: 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-314336. Epub 2019 Jul 2.

Estimated number of ophthalmologists worldwide (International Council of Ophthalmology update): will we meet the needs?

Serge Resnikoff  1 , Van Charles Lansingh  2 , Lindsey Washburn  3 , William Felch  3 , Tina-Marie Gauthier  3 , Hugh R Taylor  4 , Kristen Eckert  5 , David Parke  6 , Peter Wiedemann  3
Affiliations

Estimated number of ophthalmologists worldwide (International Council of Ophthalmology update): will we meet the needs?

Serge Resnikoff et al. Br J Ophthalmol. 2020 Apr.

Abstract

Background/aims: To estimate 2015 global ophthalmologist data and analyse their relationship to income groups, prevalence rates of blindness and visual impairment and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.

Methods: Online surveys were emailed to presidents/chairpersons of national societies of ophthalmology and Ministry of Health representatives from all 194 countries to capture the number and density (per million population) of ophthalmologists, the number/density performing cataract surgery and refraction, and annual ophthalmologist population growth trends. Correlations between these data and income group, GDP per capita and prevalence rates of blindness and visual impairment were analysed.

Results: In 2015, there were an estimated 232 866 ophthalmologists in 194 countries. Income was positively associated with ophthalmologist density (a mean 3.7 per million population in low-income countries vs a mean 76.2 in high-income countries). Most countries reported positive growth (94/156; 60.3%). There was a weak, inverse correlation between the prevalence of blindness and the ophthalmologist density. There were weak, positive correlations between the density of ophthalmologists performing cataract surgery and GDP per capita and the prevalence of blindness, as well as between GDP per capita and the density of ophthalmologists doing refractions.

Conclusions: Although the estimated global ophthalmologist workforce appears to be growing, the appropriate distribution of the eye care workforce and the development of comprehensive eye care delivery systems are needed to ensure that eye care needs are universally met.

Keywords: epidemiology; public health; treatment surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: KE was a paid consultant of VCL to this study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Global distribution of the ophthalmologist density (the number of ophthalmologists per million) population.
Figure 2
Figure 2
The relationship between the ophthalmologist density (the number of ophthalmologists per million population) and the prevalence of blindness. UAE, the United Arab Emirates.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The relationship between the number of ophthalmologists performing cataract surgery per million population and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The relationship between the number of ophthalmologists performing cataract surgery per million population and the prevalence of blindness.
Figure 5
Figure 5
The relationship between the number of ophthalmologists performing refraction per million population and the prevalence of moderate and severe visual impairment.
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Comment in

References

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