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Childhood visual impairment in Fiji

Anasaini T Cama1, Biu Telaite Sikivou, Jill E Keeffe

  • 1Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Locked Bag 8, East Melbourne 8002, Australia.

Archives of Ophthalmology (Chicago, Ill. : 1960)
|May 12, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Childhood vision impairment in Fiji is prevalent, with unavoidable causes like retinal and cortical issues being most common. Avoidable causes, such as cataracts, also contribute to vision loss in children.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Childhood visual impairment presents a significant public health challenge globally.
  • Understanding the prevalence and causes of vision loss in children is crucial for targeted interventions, especially in developing nations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence and etiological factors of low vision and blindness in children aged 0-15 years in Fiji.
  • To compare findings with those from more industrialized nations.

Main Methods:

  • Data collection involved hospital records, school screenings, and surveys targeting children aged 0-15.
  • Prevalence was calculated using age-specific data and age at onset of vision loss.
  • Causes of vision loss were identified for a subset of affected children.

Main Results:

  • A probable prevalence of 1.134 per 1000 children for visual impairment was found.
  • Retinal (39.7%) and cortical (15.5%) issues were the leading unavoidable causes; cataracts were the main avoidable cause (15.5%).
  • Severe visual impairment (<20/200) affected 0.522 per 1000 children.

Conclusions:

  • Fiji exhibits a low to moderate prevalence of childhood visual impairment.
  • The etiological profile, dominated by unavoidable causes, mirrors that of developed countries.
  • These findings suggest that strategies for managing childhood vision impairment may be transferable across different resource settings.
Abstract

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