PURPOSE

To assess the ocular health status of primary and secondary schoolchildren in Rwanda and to explore the use of the World Health Organization (WHO) primary eye care screening protocol.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional population-based study across 19 schools in Rwanda. Initial screening was carried out using the WHO screening protocol, whereby visual acuity was measured using a tumbling E Snellen chart (6/60 and 6/12). Abnormal ocular features were identified using a flashlight and history against a checklist. All children with abnormal screening were referred to an on-site ophthalmic clinic for full examination. Those who could not be treated on-site were referred to an ophthalmologist at a hospital for specialist care.

RESULTS

A total of 24,892 children underwent ocular health screening. Of those, 1,865 (7.5%) failed the primary screening; 658 (2.6%) were false positives (35.3% of those who failed screening), and 1,207 (4.8%) true positives. The most frequently observed ocular diagnoses were allergic conjunctivitis (3.11%) and strabismus (0.26%). Refractive error was very rare (0.18%).

CONCLUSIONS

The WHO primary eye care curriculum provides existing health personnel with an approach to school-based vision screening that uses a standardized checklist and low-cost resources. In our study cohort, results indicated a low frequency of refractive error; the overwhelming majority of ocular problems could be identified on visual inspection.