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Childhood visual impairment causes and barriers to accessing eye care: A suggested approach for Africa

Saif H Alrasheed1, Zoelfigar D Mohamed, Muhammed S Alluwimi

  • 1Department of Optometry, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Buraydah, Saudi Arabia; and, Department of Binocular Vision, Faculty of Optometry and Visual Sciences, Al-Neelain University, Khartoum. s.rasheed@qu.edu.sa.

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
|August 5, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Childhood vision impairment (VI) in Africa is often caused by treatable conditions like refractive errors and cataracts. Key barriers to eye care access include cost, availability, and awareness, necessitating improved healthcare strategies.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Public Health
  • Pediatrics

Background:

  • Childhood vision impairment (VI) negatively impacts health and social development.
  • Addressing VI is crucial for improving child well-being in African nations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify causes of childhood VI in Africa.
  • To determine barriers to accessing pediatric eye care services.
  • To propose a strategy for improving childhood eye care systems.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of studies published between 2003 and 2023.
  • Searched multiple databases: Scopus, PubMed, ProQuest, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Ebsco, Medline.
  • Focused on studies evaluating causes and access barriers to pediatric eye care in African countries.

Main Results:

  • Major causes of childhood VI are avoidable: uncorrected refractive error, amblyopia, cataract, and corneal opacities.
  • Primary obstacles to eye care access include lack of availability, affordability, and accessibility.
  • Additional barriers identified: poor service quality, weak primary healthcare, geographic challenges, and low health literacy.

Conclusions:

  • Timely diagnosis and management are key to preventing childhood VI.
  • Addressing systemic issues like availability, affordability, and healthcare infrastructure is essential.
  • A comprehensive strategy involving service delivery models and training is recommended.
Abstract

Keywords:
affordabilitychild.global healthincidenceprognosisschool

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