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Introduction Nearly 6.8 million people in India have vision less than 6/60 in at least one eye due to corneal diseases; of these, about a million had bilateral involvement. Purpose To identify the challenges faced; the trends in collection, storage and utilisation of corneal tissues in an eye bank in north India. Materials and methods The past records of Eye Bank linked to a tertiary hospital in northern India were analysed from November’1999 to October’2015 with respect to number of eye donations per year, donor demographics and utilisation of corneal tissues. Results The number of donations during the first 6 years were 100, 279 in the next 5 years and 473 in the last 5 years. The mean donor age was 63.2 ± 19.5 years. The percentage of donors less than 30, 31–60 and more than 60 years was 10%, 28% and 62%. Forty-two percent donations were from the hospital. The average time between the death and enucleation was 4.74 ± 5.31 hours. The percentage of corneas used in the donor age groups less than 30, 31–60 and above 60 years was 61.9%, 61.6% and 53.8%, respectively. The usability rate of the corneas from home and hospital was 63.7% and 55.3%, respectively. Conclusions The eye bank had a lukewarm response in the beginning, but gained momentum with time. The myths and beliefs prevalent in our society deter people from donating eyes freely. Each eye bank needs to individualise its problems and find solutions for adequate procurement and utilisation of tissue.

Purpose: Cognizant and well aware medical and nursing students are expected to influence and positively mold the eye donation rates in India. Keeping this in view, this study was designed to assess and compare eye donation awareness among medical and nursing students. Methods: A cross-sectional and comparative study undertaken on the occasion of eye donation fortnight among 112 medical and 115 nursing students. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire on eye donation was given to each student after getting informed consent. The software used for analysis of data was SPSS version 22.0. Results: All the medical students and 91.3% of nursing students (P < 0.0016) had heard about eye donation. Eye donation fortnight is celebrated every year to create awareness was known to 42% of medical students and 29.5% of nursing students (P < 0.05). Television, newspaper, magazines, and posters were found to be important sources of information in both groups. Eye donation can give vision to the blind was the primary motivational force both among medical and nursing students (P < 0.001). The ideal time of eye donation is within 6 h of death was known to 69% of medical students and 60.9% nursing students. Lack of awareness and objection of family members are the two significant perceived responses to non-donation in both groups. 88.4% of medical students and 79.1% of nursing students are willing to donate their eyes in future. Conclusion: The awareness of eye donation among medical students is better than nursing students. However, the willingness to pledge their eyes is almost equal in both groups.

A death radically rearranges kinship, debt, obligation, and responsibility, and it also triggers prescribed routines for mourning and material disposal of the corpse. It is into this complex and fraught unfolding of events that the rhetorics of corporeal charity must be introduced and acted upon. In this article, I describe practices and practicalities of cornea donation in Sri Lanka in relation to ideas about merit and the nation state. In contrast with discourses about ‘shortages’, corneas, which are often elsewhere a particularly difficult tissue to elicit because of their links to the eye, appearance, identity, and inner consciousness (Hayward and Madill 2003), are in Sri Lanka not in short supply. Nor is religion an impediment to donation but rather, the day-to-day practice of Sinhala Buddhists provides an extremely compelling affective, moral, and political justification when it comes to pledging to donate. The article illustrates how and why this is the case.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a highly contagious RNA virus termed as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Ophthalmologists are at high-risk due to their proximity and short working distance at the time of slit-lamp examination. Eye care professionals can be caught unaware because conjunctivitis may be one of the first signs of COVID-19 at presentation, even precluding the emergence of additional symptoms such as dry cough and anosmia. Breath and eye shields as well as N95 masks, should be worn while examining patients with fever, breathlessness, or any history of international travel or travel from any hotspot besides maintaining hand hygiene. All elective surgeries need to be deferred. Adults or children with sudden-onset painful or painless visual loss, or sudden-onset squint, or sudden-onset floaters or severe lid oedema need a referral for urgent care. Patients should be told to discontinue contact lens wear if they have any symptoms of COVID-19. Cornea retrieval should be avoided in confirmed cases and suspects, and long-term preservation medium for storage of corneas should be encouraged. Retinal screening is unnecessary for coronavirus patients taking chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine as the probability of toxic damage to the retina is less due to short-duration of drug therapy. Tele-ophthalmology and artificial intelligence should be preferred for increasing doctor-patient interaction.

Aims and Objectives: The aim of the study is to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding eye donation in patients attending outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: The data were collected by the questionnaire method from 500 patients waiting in outpatient department of ophthalmology. The questionnaire included questions pertaining to demographic profile, literacy, occupation, awareness about eye donation, willingness to donate, reasons for not pledging, and the sources of information. Results: Percentage of awareness of eye donation was equal in males and females. Significantly less awareness of eye donation was found in illiterate individuals (P < 0.0001) and Muslims (P < 0.0001). 66.6% participants were aware of eye donation and eye camps were the major source of information. 51.50% were willing to pledge their eyes. Lack of awareness was the major reason for not willing to pledge in 32.91% participants. Chi-square analysis between “awareness” and “willingness” groups showed that age group, gender, residency, and occupations were independent factors contributing to willingness to donate, while religion and education showed significant association between awareness and willingness (P < 0.05). Participants who were initially not aware about eye donation (33.6%), after being counseled showed positive responses of willingness to pledge. Conclusion: The data showed that most of the people were aware about eye donation and were willing to donate their eyes; however, the attitude and practice showed mixed responses. Participants had misconceptions about eye donation. Therefore, to reduce the burden of avoidable corneal blindness effective measures should be taken by ophthalmologists, physicians, and especially religious leaders to educate and motivate people for eye donation.

Background: The need for eye tissue for use in sight saving and sight restoring surgery is a global issue. Approximately 53% of the world's population has no access to interventions such as corneal transplantation. Low levels of eye tissue impact on service providers such as National Health Service Blood and Transplant who aim to achieve a weekly stock of 350 eyes but do not meet this target. Aim: Patients who die in hospice and palliative care settings could be potential donors; therefore the aim of this systematic scoping review was to identify the potential for eye donation and barriers toward it from these clinical contexts. Design: A scoping review following the Joanna Briggs scoping review methodology was applied to search the global literature. Results: 13 articles from the global literature were retrieved. Evidence indicate that 542 patients could potentially have donated their eyes. Key barriers to increasing eye donation include the reluctance of healthcare professionals to raise the option of eye donation and the evidenced lack of awareness of patients and family members about donation options and eligibility. This review also indicates a lack of clinical guidance drawn from high-quality evidence proposing interventions that could inform clinical practice and service development. Conclusion: The scoping review presented here provides an up-to-date view of the current potential for, perceptions toward, and practice underpinning offering the option of eye donation to dying patients and their family members in hospice and palliative care context.

Purpose: To assess the awareness and knowledge on eye donation among students of Allied Health Sciences (AHS), medical, and nursing. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using a standard predesigned and pretested closed-ended structured questionnaire based on eye donation to obtain information about awareness and knowledge from AHS, medical, and nursing students of Goa. Results: Three hundred and forty participants participated in the study. The majority of the participants [97.9% (95% CI: 95.8–99.2)] were aware of the existence of eye donation. Mass media (62.9%) was the foremost source of information. However, only 145 [42.6% (95% CI: 37.3–48.1)] participants were willing to donate their eyes. AHS, medical, and nursing students stood apart significantly in their awareness and knowledge. Only 60 [17.6% (95% CI: 13.7–22.1)] participants were aware that the whole eye can be removed from the donor while 215 [63.2% (95% CI: 57.9–68.4)] were wrongly aware that the cornea can be removed separately. Awareness about eye donation was not associated with willingness to donate eyes. Conclusions: Although awareness regarding eye donation was satisfactory, there was lack of willingness to donate eyes. There is a need to bridge the gap between eye bank and donors. Keywords: Eye donation, Awareness, Knowledge, Corneal transplantation, Allied Health Science, Medical

BACKGROUND Eye donation received every year in India is very low when compared to demand; sensitisation among people is needed on this important topic. Medical students will play big role in future in creating eye donation awareness in society. Keeping this thing in mind present study was carried out for assessing medical student’s own knowledge on eye donation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Study was carried out at ESIC Medical College & hospital, Faridabad. Option for participation was given to MBBS students after complete explanation about study details. 225 students from I, III and V semester participated in study. Their knowledge was assessed using a questionnaire with 20 questions on different aspects of eye donation. RESULTS 96% students were willing to promote eye donation in society in future but they lack some basic knowledge on this issue. 64.44% did not know that eye donation is possible only after death. 49.33% did not know that eye donation can still be carried out even If deceased person had not pledged for eye donation. 47.56% and 58.22% students responded that cataract and optic atrophy respectively are contraindication for eye donation. CONCLUSION Medical students are enthusiastic to promote noble cause of eye donation but they lack some basic knowledge on this issue. Specific efforts are needed to fill these lacunae in their knowledge. This will help us in long term for sensitization of people in society on eye donation.

BACKGROUND The blindness due to corneal aetiology accounts for 0.9% of blindness in India. Corneal transplantation is the major treatment option for them. The lower rate of eye donation is the major obstacle to this procedure. Twenty-two thousand eyes are collected every year in India, which only serve half the requirement of corneal transplantations. Medical students who are future medical practitioners can be a good motivator for this eye donation. MATERIALS AND METHODS To assess the awareness of eye donation among medical students, we did a cross-sectional study enrolling 112 fourth year MBBS students on the occasion of eye donation fortnight in the year 2015. A pretested semi-structured questionnaire was given to each student to conduct the study. RESULTS All the students knew that eyes can be donated after death, but only 68.7% knew that the ideal time of donation was within 6 hours of death. Most students (88.4%) were willing to donate eyes. Eye donation can give vision to the blind was the motivational force for eye donation according to most of the students. Lack of awareness (87.5%) and objection by family members (61.6%) were the main perceived reason by the students for not pledging the eyes for donation. Television, newspapers, magazines and posters were found to be the important sources of information about eye donation. CONCLUSION The study revealed that though the majority of medical students were aware of eye donation practices, still there is lack of knowledge among students, which need to be considered. As the medical students are one of the knowledge group of community, their perception regarding non-donation of eyes by the people can be considered, while creating awareness about eye donation.

Background In Ethiopia, there is a substantial mismatch between need and supply of corneal transplant. Although corneal transplantation service is affected by various factors, willingness to donate eyes is an essential indicator of its availability, accessibility, and acceptability. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the magnitude of willingness to donate eyes and its associated factors, which help to develop appropriate strategies that can address this undersupply and unmet need. Methods A community-based cross-sectional survey was conducted on 774 adults who were selected using multistage random sampling in Gondar town, North West, Ethiopia. The data were collected through interviews. Results In this survey, 774 adults with a median age of 30 ± 14.33 years participated. The proportion of willing to donate eyes was 37.6% [95% CI: 34.3%–41.3%]. It was positively associated with the religious belief of Christianity [AOR = 1.73, 95% CI: 1.08–2.75], having awareness about eye donation [AOR = 1.38, 95% CI: 1.01–1.92], educational level of high school [AOR = 2.90, 95% CI: 1.72–4.90], and College/University [AOR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.28–3.87]. Conclusion The magnitude of willingness to donate eyes was moderate and positively associated with the higher educational level and awareness. It is, therefore, strategic to plan awareness creation programs to mobilize the community. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12886-017-0577-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Introduction. To study the knowledge and attitude of a medical student doing internship with regards to organ donation. Methods. A total of 50 specially designed questionnaires were distributed among medical students doing internship at a medical college. Those who gave their consent to participate in the study were asked to fill out the questionnaire. Results. 86% gave their consent to participate in the study. 100% were aware of the concept of organ donation. 68% had obtained this knowledge from newspapers. 4% had obtained knowledge from the Medical College. 48%, 48% and 34% believed that an organ donor was live, brain dead and cardiac dead, respectively. Awareness regarding kidney, eye, liver, heart and skin donation was found to be 82%, 80%, 80%, 62% and 64%, respectively. 54% were aware of Law pertaining to organ donation. 90% were either positive or willing to consider organ donation themselves. 10% felt that the donated organ might be misused. Conclusion. Health care professionals are the first to establish relationship with the potential donor’s family and are a crucial link in the organ procurement process. Their attitude and level of knowledge regarding organ donation would reflect directly on the organ donation activity of any region. The interns in the present study had positive attitude towards organ donation but were lacking in knowledge about some key aspects such as brain death and legality involved in organ donation. Majority of the medical professionals had obtained their knowledge from newspapers and very few were taught about organ donation in the medical college. If education on organ donation and its various aspects was included in medical curriculum, it could empower the future medical care professionals with knowledge to further study the cause of organ donation and serve the society better.

Purpose: To understand trends, awareness, influences and barriers to eye donation in Indian society. Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in Delhi from March 2017 to February 2018. About 10 hospitals collaborated with the Eye Bank under Human Cornea Retrieval Program (HCRP). Eye Bank recruited Eye Donation Counselors (EDCs) to approach family members of the deceased. A pretested questionnaire was used for this study. Irrespective of whether the next of kin of the deceased consented for eye donation or not, the option of participating in the survey was given. Results: Out of 473 potential donors identified, 407 (86%) next of kin consented to participate in the study. Of these, 388 (95.3%) were males and 19 (4.7%) were females. About 168 (41%) consented for eye donation and were assigned to donor group, while 239 (59%) participants refused eye donation and were assigned to non-donor group. Majority of the participants were siblings 170 (41.8%) of the deceased and the mean age of the deceased was 42.71 ± 17.56 years. The foremost concern before decision-making was transparency in how the cornea would be used (32.25%). The concern with regards to whether the body would remain intact after eye donation significantly decreased the probability of consent for eye donation. Conclusion: The study highlights that barriers to eye donation in India are not cultural or religious but more due to misinformation and proper utilization of the donated tissue. This study also emphasizes the pivotal role of EDC's in facilitating the eye donation movement.

This writeup deals with the basics of Eye Donation, from who can and cannot donate, how to counsel patients, how to pledge one's eyes, the responsibilities of a donor's family in the donation process. It also touches upon removal of the donor corneal tissue, processing and preservation of donor cornea at the Eye Bank, and the impact of COVID-19 on the eye donation scenario.

BACKGROUND Corneal diseases constitute significant cause of visual impairment and blindness in the developing countries, it can be prevented through corneal transplantation. There is a large gap between demand and supply of corneal tissue due to lack of awareness about eye donation. Nurses and paramedical staff are potential source that is underutilised as they are in constant touch with the patients and their relatives and can be inspired to pledge their cornea for eye donation. Aim of the study is to assess the level of awareness among the nursing and paramedical staff regarding eye donation. METHODOLOGY A cross-sectional study was carried out to get the information from nursing and paramedical staff. RESULTS Total 66.16% nursing and 33.83% paramedical staff participated. Among the participants about 60% nurses and 68% paramedics did not know about any existing eye bank in Bhopal. Only 69% of nurses and 13.43% paramedical staff knew that eyes can be removed within 6 hours of death for effective use, 59.54% nurses knew that cornea is used for grafting, but among paramedical staff only 13.43% showed any awareness about the subject. Only 24.42% nurses and 13.43% paramedical staff had good knowledge about eye donation. Total 65% were not willing to donate their own eyes. CONCLUSION Result of this study indicates that there is lack of awareness and poor attitude related to eye donation amongst nurses and paramedical staff. This also indicates a high level of ignorance about eye donation in society in general.

Background: Creating awareness regarding eye donation is the prime factor responsible for promoting voluntary pledging and donation of eyes. Planning awareness campaigns is determined by the prevalence of dearth of understanding of eye donation. Aims and Objectives: To assess the awareness and perception among eye care seekers toward eye donation. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among patients attending ophthalmology outpatient department seeking eye care, using a predesigned, pretested, semistructured, selfadministered questionnaire. Results: The study group included 250 participants. The male to female ratio was 1:1. A total of 94.4% participants had heard about eye donation. A total of 71.7% were willing to donate their eyes; 90.3% had not pledged their eyes; 63.7% were ready to implement eye donation as a family custom. Willingness, consent, and wish to make eye donation as a family custom was more among males (P = 0.049), graduates (P = 0.013), Christians (P = 0.019), those who were aware of the subject (P = 0.00), and who were single (P = 0.00). Only 7.6% had faced discouragement from the society or kith and kin when pledging of eye was considered. A total of 66.1% knew about the existence of a registered eye bank in the institute. Nobility was the main motivation (87.7%). A total of 61.8% felt that donated eye can give vision to the needy. Conclusion: This study revealed that eye care seekers were well aware of eye donation with a favorable attitude towards it; most of them were inclined to pledge their eyes. Counseling of this receptive group and identifying interested candidates among them as volunteers for eye donation is helpful in promoting eye donation among the community.

BACKGROUND: In developing countries, the leading cause of childhood blindness is corneal scarring. Although the service of corneal transplantation depends on several factors, availability of potential donors is of paramount importance. Attitude of eligible donors is the main factor that affects corneal supply. However, limited data exist on eye donation. Hence, this study intended to assess the knowledge and attitude toward eye donation and its associated factors. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A community-based, cross-sectional study was conducted on 760 adults aged ≥18 years selected using multistage systematic random sampling in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. A face-to-face structured questionnaire interview in home-to-home visit was applied to collect the data. Descriptive and analytical tests were performed. A binary logistic regression was fitted. Those variables with P < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: This study comprised 760 adults with a median age of 30 years. The proportion of overall level of good knowledge and favorable attitude toward eye donation was 8.4% and 59.9%, respectively. It has been also recognized that attitude was positively associated with educational level of high school (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.41–4.14) and college/university (AOR = 2.73, 95% CI: 1.53–4.89) and awareness (AOR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.05–2.03). CONCLUSIONS: Although the overall level of knowledge about eye donation was poor, the proportion of favorable attitude toward eye donation was fair. Since it was associated with educational level and awareness, it is strategic to follow multidisciplinary approaches to facilitate multi-stakeholder partnerships and to motivate the people to donate their eyes.

AIM: In India it is estimated that there are approximately 6.8 million people who have vision less than 6/60 in atleast one eye due to corneal disease: the rate of eye donation is low. The aim of the study was to assess the awareness about eye donation, pledging their eyes and willingness to donate eyes among attendants of patients in rural Karnataka. STUDY DESIGN: Cross - s ectional study design . MATERIALS AND METHOD S: This observational study was conducted on attendants who accompanied patients ( n = 200) visiting various outpatient departments of the Hospital between November 2014 and December 2014. The participants answered a questionnaire (Kannada and English versions) which included demographic profile, awareness of eye donation, knowledge regarding facts of eye donation, pledging and willingness to donate eyes. RESULTS: Awareness of eye donation was observed in 182 (91%) participants. Analysis showed that awareness was equal among males and females. Of the 182 participants who were aware of eye donation, only 108 (59.34%) were willing to donate eyes. Willingness was more among the males (55.55%). 142 (71%) participants wou ld recommend eye donation. Main reasons for not pledging eyes were: lack of information regarding pledging eyes (39.18%), objection by family members (33.78%) and religious belief (17.56%). Educational status was associated with willingness to donate eyes (P=0.0001). Media was the major source of information about eye donation. Of those aware of eye donation only 9.34% have pledged their eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Although multiple strategies are currently followed to increase awareness of eye donations, we need to develop more innovative strategies to target young rural population to make them pledge their eyes. Awareness has to be created through the curriculum. Training of anganawadi, ASHA workers and paramedical personnel in spreading awareness, pledging and ben efits of eye donation at community level.

CONTEXT: In developing countries, corneal diseases are the second leading cause of blindness. This corneal blindness can be treated through corneal transplantation. Though the present infrastructure is strong enough to increase keratoplasty numbers at a required rate, India has largest corneal blind population in the world. So a constant supply of high quality donor corneal tissue is the key factor for reduction of prevalence of corneal blindness. Considering the magnitude of corneal blindness and shortage of donor cornea, there is a huge gap in the demand and supply. AIM: To study the potential for hospital based retrieval of donor corneal tissue in Hassan district hospital after analysing the indicated and contraindicated causes of deaths, so that hospital corneal retrieval program in Hassan district hospital can be planned. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cross-sectional, retrospective and record-based study included all hospital deaths with age group more than two years occurred during one year period (January 2014 to December 2014). Data regarding demographic profile, cause of death, treatment given and presence of any systemic diseases were collected. The causes of deaths which are contraindicated for the retrieval of corneas were analysed and noted. The contraindications were based on the NPCB guidelines for standard of eye banking in India 2009. RESULTS: Out of 855 deaths, number of deaths in males (565) was greater than females (290). Numbers of deaths were highest between 41-60 years age group (343). Deaths due to HIV, septicaemia, meningitis, encephalitis, disseminated malignancies were contraindicated for corneal retrieval. Corneas could be retrieved from 736 deaths out of 855. Potential for corneal retrieval in a period of one year in Hassan District hospital was 86%. CONCLUSION: Hospital corneal retrieval program has got a great potential to bridge the gap between the need for the cornea and actually collected corneas which will contribute enormously in eliminating corneal blindness. In present study there was 86% potential for corneal retrieval among the hospital deaths.

PURPOSE : To assess the awareness and perception of nursing students towards eye donation in rural Karnataka. METHOD: A Cross - sectional study was conducted. A pretested, semi - structured questionnaire was used for collecting the information from 200 nursing students. RESULTS: The majority 184(92%) of students knew that eyes can be donated after death but only 64(32%) knew that the ideal time of donation was within 6 hours of death. Most participants 144(72%) were either willing or had already pledged to donate their eyes. Only 60(30%) knew about organ donation act. Majority 182(91%) knew that HIV patient cannot donate their eyes. Most of the students 162(81%) knew that eyes were removed by an eye specialist. Among students who are willing to donate eyes, 122(84.7%) students felt that donating eye is a noble act. Perceived reasons for not pledging eyes by the students were: t he unacceptable idea of separating the eyes from the body 34(60.7%), lack of awareness 26(46.4%) and objection by family members 22(39.3%). CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that although awareness regarding eye donation is high, there is lack of knowledge and motivation related to eye donation

Introduction: The value of anything is realized only when it is lost, one such thing is vision. Though all the causes of blindness can’t be cured, corneal blindness can be reverted by corneal transplantation, for which a suitable donor cornea is required at right time. There is lack of awareness about eye donation among general population, so practice of eye donation is also lacking. Studies about awareness of eye donation among general population are lacking in rural India, keeping this in mind, present study was conducted. Aim: To determine the awareness about eye donation and its associated factors among adults in rural Pondicherry, India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at Rural Health and Training Centre (RHTC) of Community Medicine department. Total 196 adults visiting to RHTC were interviewed after obtaining informed written consent. Data were collected by investigator using pre-designed and pre-tested questionnaire in local language (Tamil). The data were analyzed using epi info 7 software. Chi-square test was used for statistical significance between awareness and socio-demographic factors like age, sex, education, occupation, etc. Ethical permission was obtained before conducting the study. Result: Of 196 participants, 80.6% subjects were aware about eye donation. Education and occupation had significant association with awareness. Main source of information about eye donation was television (65.2%). The employed persons had significantly more awareness about the correct timing to donate eyes. Education and occupation were found to be the predictors for awareness about eye donation. Conclusion: Although the awareness is good in this population, the quantum of people pledged is very low. To make the dream of converting the awareness into pledging and procurement of eyes, the knowledge about eye donation is highly required.

Background There is a huge need for the availability of transplantable donor corneas worldwide to reduce the burden of corneal blindness due to corneal opacity. Voluntary eye donation depends on the awareness levels of various stakeholders in the community. This study aimed to assess the awareness level regarding eye donation among various stakeholders in Srikakulam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India. Methods 355 subjects were selected from the district using multi stage random sampling. A pre tested semi structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding each individual’s awareness, knowledge, and perception regarding eye donation. Each response was scored individually and a total score was calculated. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with willingness towards eye donation and increased awareness levels. Results Of the 355 subjects interviewed, 192 (54%) were male and 163 (46%) were female. The mean age of the stakeholders was 35.9 years (SD ±16.1) and all the study subjects were literate. Ninety-three percent of subjects were aware of the concept of eye donation. Knowledge levels were similar among the teaching community and persons engaged in social service, but lower among students (p Conclusions Awareness levels and willingness to donate eyes are high among the stakeholders in Srikakulam district in India. The services of stakeholders could be utilized, in conjunction with other community based eye donation counselors, to promote awareness regarding eye donation among the general population.

Background: Eye sight is very important for human life. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that every 5 seconds someone goes blind. Globally, 37 million people are blind, and of these nearly 10 lakh blind people are willing for corneal transplantation. Aims: The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding eye donation among the students. Materials and Methods: The data were collected by the questionnaire method from medical and paramedical students at Al Ameen Medical College, Bijapur. Data collected from the participants were analyzed using percentage and descriptive statistics. Results: Out of the 250 students, 60.4% were Muslim by religion. The participants were wellaware of eye donation (99.2%) quoting media as a major source of information for their knowledge. Attitude regarding eye donation in few (45.6%) was different as it was against their religious belief, although they said it was a service to the mankind (92%). Out of the 250 students, 48% were willing to pledge and 52% students did not believe in pledging their eyes. Conclusion: The findings of the study showed that overall knowledge about eye donation among students was good, however the attitude and practice showed mixed responses.

Context: Current corneal procurement rates are inadequate to meet transplantation needs in India. Thus proper health care education and awareness regarding eye donation is essential. Aims: To study awareness and willingness of eye donation among paramedical workers. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study design. Materials and Methods: Sixty paramedical workers were asked to answer a pretested semi-structured questionnaire in their own language. Questions were asked pertaining to demographic profile and assessment of awareness about eye donation. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 15.0. Results: The majority (45/60) of the paramedical staff were aware that eyes can be donated after death and 48/60 respondents knew that the ideal time for eye donation was within 6 hours of death. Perceived reasons for not pledging eyes by the paramedical staff included the unacceptable idea of separating the eye from the body causing disfigurement of face (16/60), lack of awareness about the concept of an eye bank where eyes can be preserved (18/60) and religious restrictions (9/60). Conclusion: The paramedical staffs of any hospital are the backbone of the health care system and can play a major role in motivating patients and their next of kin towards eye donation. Our study concluded that even though 83.33% (50/60) of paramedics had some knowledge of eye donation, 15% (9/60) believed it to be against their religious beliefs and 26.66 %( 16/60) respondents believed that it caused disfigurement of face. These beliefs are a major hurdle towards patient motivation for eye donation.Key words: Heidelberg retinal tomography, Optical coherence tomography, optic disc area, optic disc cup area, optic disc rim area, optic cup-disc ratio

Aim: Corneal blindness accounts for 3.42% of blindness in Malaysia; the rate of eye donation is low. The aim of the study was to assess the awareness about eye donation and willingness to donate eyes among attendants of patients at various clinics in Melaka, Malaysia. Materials and Methods: This observational study was conducted on attendants who accompanied patients (n = 400) visiting various outpatient departments of the General Hospital and two peripheral clinics in Melaka between August and October 2007. The participants answered a questionnaire (Malay and English versions) which included demographic profile, awareness of eye donation, knowledge regarding facts of eye donation, and willingness to donate eyes. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed at 5% level of significance. Results: Awareness of eye donation was observed in 276 (69%) participants. Multivariate analysis showed that awareness was more among females when compared to males (P = 0.009). Of the 276 participants who were aware of eye donation, only 34.42% were willing to donate eyes. Willingness was more among the Indian race (P = 0.02) and males (P = 0.02). Educational status did not influence the willingness to donate eyes. Conclusions: Although majority of participants were aware of eye donation, willingness to donate eyes was poor.

Context: Corneal diseases constitute a significant cause of visual impairment and blindness in the developing world. The number of corneal transplants done is far less than the actual requirement in India. This is largely due to the inadequate number of corneas collected. Well-informed nursing students could be expected to influence eye donation rates. Aims: To assess the awareness and perception of 188 first- and second-year nursing students towards eye donation in Bangalore. Settings and Design: Cross-sectional study design. Materials and Methods: A pretested, semi-structured questionnaire. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were analyzed using the Epi-Info software package, Version 6.04. Results: The majority (96.8%) of students knew that eyes can be donated after death but only 38.2% knew that the ideal time of donation was within 6 hours of death. Most participants (85.1%) were either willing or had already donated their eyes. Nobility in the act of eye donation was the main motivational force for eye donation according to 85.6% of students. Perceived reasons for not pledging eyes by the students were: the unacceptable idea of separating the eyes from the body (67.9%), lack of awareness (42.8%), objection by family members (28.5%), and unsuitability to donate because of health problem (10.7%). Conclusion: This study revealed that nursing students were well aware of eye donations and most of them were inclined to sign-up for eye donation. The perceived reasons for not donating eyes need to be considered while creating awareness about eye donation in the community. The nursing students could be actively involved as volunteers in eye donation campaigns and they can act as counsellors for eye donors. They can also contribute by participating in creating awareness and motivating people to become eye donors.