Incidence and causes of blindness amongst the rural population.

A survey of blindness was conducted in a few union councils of the districts of Chittagong, Comilla and Noakhali in a population of 1,14,624 and 1,085 cases of blindness (842 adults and 243 children) were detected. The most common cause of blindness in the adults was cataract whereas in the children it was corneal affection. Trauma constituted 26.7% of blindness in the children and 10.2% in the adults. Glaucoma was responsible for 16.3% of blindness in the adults.