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Comparative Study
. 2024 Jul 10;25(1):250.
doi: 10.1186/s12875-024-02503-4.

Assessment of eye health programme reach by comparison with rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) survey data, Talagang, Pakistan

Muhammad Zahid Jadoon  1 , Zahid Awan  2 , Muhammad Moin  3 , Rizwan Younas  3 , Sergio Latorre-Arteaga  4   5 , Elanor Watts  6   7 , Marzieh Katibeh  4   8 , Andrew Bastawrous  4   9
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Assessment of eye health programme reach by comparison with rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) survey data, Talagang, Pakistan

Muhammad Zahid Jadoon et al. BMC Prim Care. .

Abstract

Background: The purpose of this study was to quantify how much of the burden of visual impairment (VI) and unmet need in Talagang, identified by Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) survey data, has been addressed by Community Eye Health (CEH) programme efforts.

Methods: A RAAB survey was carried out in November 2018, with 2,824 participants in Talagang Tehsil, Punjab, Pakistan, aged 50 and over. Census data were used to extrapolate survey data to the population. Alongside this, a CEH programme was launched, consisting of community eye screening, and onward referral to rural health centres, secondary or tertiary ophthalmological services, as required. This health intervention aimed to address the eye care needs surfaced by the initial survey. From 2018 to 2022, 30,383 people aged 50 or over were screened; 14,054 needed referral to further steps of the treatment pathway and more detailed data collection. Programme data were compared to estimates of population unmet needs. Main outcome measures were prevalence of VI, and proportion of need met by CEH Programme, by cause and level of VI.

Results: Among those aged 50 and over, 51.0% had VI in at least one eye. The leading causes were cataract (46.2%) and uncorrected refractive error (URE) (25.0%). In its first four years, the programme reached an estimated 18.3% of the unmet need from cataract, and 21.1% of URE, equally in both men and women.

Conclusions: Robustly collected survey and programme data can improve eye health planning, monitoring and evaluation, address inequities, and quantify the resources required for improving eye health. This study quantifies the time required to reach eye health needs at the community level.

Keywords: cataract; community health worker; epidemiology; eye health; global ophthalmology; primary eye care; programme; refractive error; survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have made the following disclosures: AB: Co-founder - Peek Vision; SLA, EW and MK: Financial support - Peek Vision; ZA: Financial support - CBM International. No personal financial support related to this manuscript.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Summary of RAAB data. (a) Prevalence of bilateral blindness - best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) < 3/60 in better eye by age and gender. (b) Causes of blindness and severe or moderate visual impairment in the better eye (BCVA < 20/60 (6/18)). (c) Barriers to cataract surgery in people with bilateral BCVA < 6/60 due to cataract, by gender. (d) Outcomes of cataract surgery: BCVA in operated eyes. Very good: BCVA ≥ 6/12, Good: 6/12 > BCVA ≥ 6/18, Borderline: 6/18 > BCVA ≥ 6/60, Poor: BCVA < 6/60
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Programme workflow, November 2018 to November 2022, for the population aged ≥ 50 in Talagang Tehsil. The sum of the percentages of patients who have received spectacles, medication, hospital (ophthalmologist) or specialist referrals may exceed 100% as some patients have multiple outcomes
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Combined reach to people with visual impairment in Talagang Tehsil, District Chakwal, Pakistan. Percentage of estimated unmet need reached during the RAAB survey and the first four years of the programme
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Causes of blindness in RAAB survey, 2018, and among CEH programme participants (triage stage). Programme data refers to the first four years of the programme
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Cataract surgery and refractive service need in Talagang. (a) Magnitude of need identified by RAAB survey and reached by CEH Programme: Main causes of VI in either eye, (b) Percentage of previously unmet need reached during the first four years of the programme, by gender
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