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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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To test a model of integrated pediatric eye care delivery and examine the prevalence and factors associated with childhood ocular morbidity in a peri-urban setting in Bangladesh. Cross-sectional, population-based study. The study was conducted in three phases among children aged ≤15 years. Trained community health workers (CHWs) conducted awareness intervention and identified children with ocular problems. These children were then referred to the base hospital for examination and treatment by ophthalmologists. A pediatric ophthalmologist further examined the children with complicated eye diseases and ensured treatment at a tertiary public eye hospital. Awareness, referral patterns, and health-seeking behavior were also examined. All data were analyzed statistically using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. CHWs screened 33,549 eligible children and identified 1887 cases with ocular morbidity. The prevalence of ocular morbidity and childhood blindness were 5.63% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 5.27–6.16) and 0.060% (95% CI = 0.03–0.11), respectively. The most commonly observed ocular morbidities were refractive error (3.24%; 95% CI = 3.11–3.45), allergic eye conditions (1.2%; 95% = CI 0.74–1.27), and nasolacrimal duct obstruction (0.52%; 95% CI = 0.25–0.74). Blindness was more frequently seen in children aged <5 years than in those aged 5–15 years (χ2 = 7.25; P = 0.007). The causes of blindness were corneal opacity, congenital eye anomaly, cataract, retinopathy of prematurity, and retinoblastoma. The prevalence of ocular morbidity was higher among older children, boys, children with low parental education and income, and children from households dwelling in slums. This study demonstrated that in a setting where screening and treatment for vision problems remain low, ocular morbidity among children could be easily identified through well-designed community-based screening programs involving appropriately trained CHWs. Community mobilization, awareness, and early detection of childhood eye diseases, with effective referral mechanisms for accessing appropriate care, are crucially important to improve service delivery. • Trained community health workers conducted awareness interventions, identified and referred children with ocular problems. • Refractive error was the most common ocular morbidity. • Ocular morbidity was associated with older children and slum dwellers. • Gender inequalities existed in care seeking; fewer girls sought care from the referral hospital. • Community mobilization, early detection and effective referral are important for improving eye care service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Vision is critical in the development and performance of children. Factual knowledge of eye health is important for preventive and promotive eye health. Objectives. To identify eye health myths and misconceptions that are considered true in a population of Nigerian school children, with the aim of prioritizing eye health messages. Material and methods. In a cross-sectional survey, self-administered questionnaires were used to obtain pupils' views, which were elicited using statements presented as 22 ocular health myths/misconceptions and three facts in two selected secondary schools in Enugu state, Nigeria in October 2014. Frequency counts and percentages were generated using SPSS v18. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. The sample comprised 404 males (48.5%) and 429 females (51.5%), age range 10-17 years, median 13-14 years; IQR -6). More pupils in the senior classes had previously listened to eye health talks. The most common beliefs concerned the statements "staying close to the television set will damage vision" 782 (93.9%), and "reading in dim light will damage vision" 758 (90.8%). The least commonly-held misconception was "children do not need regular eye checks" 119 (14.3%). The greatest amount of uncertainty concerned the statements "short-sightedness is worse than long-sightedness" 421 (51%), and "crossed-eye disorders cannot be corrected in children" 383 (46%). Conclusions. The majority of the children do not have information on eye health. Despite the persistence of these myths and misconceptions, this study has demonstrated that the children had a reasonable level of knowledge in terms of safe eye care practices. However, appropriate eye health messages still need to be provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eye care is an important area of critical care. However, lack of eye care studies is a common issue across the globe. The aim of this study is to determine the views and practices of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses on eye care in Turkey and Palestine. This descriptive study was conducted using a self-administrated questionnaire. The data were collected from 111 nurses in nine kinds of ICUs in two education hospital. Normal saline (75.9%) was the most commonly reported solution for eye hygiene among the Palestinian nurses, and gauze soaked in normal saline or sterile water (64.3%) were the most frequently used supplies by the Turkish nurses. Although both Palestinian and Turkish ICU nurses took some precautions to prevent eye complications in critical patients, there were some gaps and insufficiencies in the eye care of ICU patients. There is a need for continuing training in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]