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Causes of childhood blindness in a developing country and an underdeveloped country
E Santos-Bueso1, E Dorronzoro-Ramírez2, J A Gegúndez-Fernández1
1Neuro-ophthalmology unit, ophthalmology department, healthcare research unit, hospital clínico San Carlos (IdISSC), Calle Profesor Martín Lagos, S/N, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
Insights
Childhood blindness causes vary by country. In Morocco, hereditary issues and refractive errors dominate, while Ethiopia sees more corneal disease and trauma. This highlights the impact of development levels on childhood vision health.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Global Health
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Childhood blindness etiology differs significantly based on geographic location and human development index (HDI).
- Developed nations primarily attribute childhood blindness to genetic/hereditary diseases.
- Underdeveloped countries (UDCs) face infectious diseases, nutritional deficiencies, and vitamin deficiencies as leading causes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate and compare the primary causes of childhood blindness in Nador, Morocco, and Mekele, Ethiopia.
- To understand the influence of varying socioeconomic factors on the prevalence of different blinding conditions in children.
Main Methods:
- A comparative study was conducted on children admitted to a regional center in Nador, Morocco (n=27) and in Mekele, Ethiopia (n=85).
- Data collection involved collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) Fundación Adelias and Proyecto Visión.
- Study periods were June 2010 (Morocco) and October 2012 (Ethiopia).
Main Results:
- In Morocco, the leading causes of childhood blindness were hereditary pathologies (25.92%) and refractive errors (14.82%).
- Corneal disease (27.05%) and trauma (20%) were the predominant causes in Ethiopia, with congenital/hereditary diseases being less prevalent (4.70%).
- Trauma and corneal disease were also noted as relevant causes in the Moroccan cohort (7.40% each).
Conclusions:
- The study confirms that the causes of childhood blindness are strongly linked to the human development index of the studied populations.
- Ethiopia (UDC) showed a higher prevalence of corneal disease and trauma, typical of lower-resource settings.
- Morocco presented a mixed pattern, with causes common in developed countries (hereditary pathologies) coexisting with those prevalent in UDCs.
Introduction:
The causes of childhood blindness depend on factors such as geographic location or the human development index of the populations under study. The main causes in developed countries are genetic and hereditary diseases, while infectious and contagious diseases, together with nutritional and vitamin deficiencies, are the main causes in underdeveloped countries (UDCs).
Methods:
Study of the causes of blindness among children admitted to a regional centre in Nador, Morocco, and among children in Mekele, Ethiopia. The study was carried out in collaboration with two non-governmental organizations based in Madrid, Spain. First, we worked with Fudación Adelias in June 2010, and with Proyecto Visión in October 2012.
Results:
The study comprised a total of 27 children in Morocco and 85 in Ethiopia. The average age of the children was 10.92 and 6.94 years, respectively. The main causes of blindness in Morocco were hereditary pathologies (25.92%) and refractive errors (14.82%), although trauma (7.40%) and corneal disease (7.40%) are relevant. Among the children from Ethiopia, corneal disease (27.05%) and trauma (20%) were the main causes of blindness, while congenital and hereditary diseases had a lower prevalence (4.70%).
Conclusions:
The causes of blindness depend on the human development index of the populations under study. While corneal disease and trauma are the main causes observed in UDCs like Ethiopia, hereditary pathologies and refractive errors are the main causes within the Moroccan population studied. A mixed form can be observed in this country, as the cause of blindness found in developed countries, such as congenital and hereditary pathologies which are present alongside the causes normally found in LDCs.
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