Socio-economic disparity in visual impairment from cataract

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Global Health
• Socioeconomic Determinants of Health

Background:

• Cataract is a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness globally.
• Disparities in healthcare access and outcomes exist across countries with varying socioeconomic development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between visual impairment due to cataract and the Human Development Index (HDI).
• To analyze the burden of cataract-related disability (measured in years lived with disability - YLDs) in relation to national socioeconomic status.

Main Methods:

• Utilized 2019 data on national age-standardized YLD rates for cataract and national HDIs.
• Analyzed trends in age-standardized YLD rates from 1990 to 2019 across income levels.
• Compared YLD rates across different HDI groups and degrees of visual impairment.

Main Results:

• Age-standardized YLD rates for cataract-related visual impairment and blindness decreased globally between 1990 and 2019.
• Countries with low HDI exhibited significantly higher age-standardized YLD rates for cataract blindness compared to high HDI countries.
• YLD rates for blindness, severe vision loss, and moderate vision loss were inversely correlated with HDI.

Conclusions:

• The global burden of visual impairment from cataract has declined, but remains concentrated in low HDI nations.
• Significant inverse associations exist between cataract-related YLDs and national socioeconomic development (HDI).
• Increased access to cataract services and surgery in developing countries is crucial to reduce avoidable blindness.