Discipline of Optometry, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana.
Clin Exp Optom. 2024 Jan;107(1):3-13. doi: 10.1080/08164622.2023.2254766. Epub 2024 Jan 15.
Low vision is an uncorrectable form of visual impairment that affect millions of people worldwide. Low vision care and rehabilitation are essential to improving the independence of affected individuals. Even though sub-Saharan Africa has one of the highest burdens of low vision globally, there are inadequate care and rehabilitation services in most countries and in some cases they are non-existent This scoping review aimed to identify the barriers and enablers to low vision care and rehabilitation in sub-Saharan Africa and assess these within the global context. The review was conducted using the five-step Arksey and O'Malley framework. Search terms were formulated based on the research questions and a search strategy was designed to search for eligible research articles from electronic databases; Pubmed, Ovid, Medline, and Embase. The data was screened by two members of the research team in accordance with set inclusion and exclusion criteria. Twenty-five out of 260 articles satisfied the inclusion criteria for the study. Inadequate low vision care infrastructure and supplies, non-standardised training of low vision care providers, health system failure and poor awareness of low vision care were the main barriers noted by eye care practitioners. Patients living with low vision cited the cost and availability of low vision aids, societal stigma, and poor awareness of services as the main barriers. No direct enablers were identified in sub-Saharan Africa; however, practitioners suggested improved training in low vision as a potential enabler. The barriers to low vision care and rehabilitation services identified were not unique to sub-Saharan Africa when viewed within a global context. Adopting and adapting solutions from other countries may therefore assist in improving low vision care and rehabilitation in sub-Saharan Africa.
低视力是一种无法矫正的视力损伤形式，影响着全球数百万人。低视力护理和康复对于提高受影响个体的独立性至关重要。尽管撒哈拉以南非洲地区是全球低视力负担最高的地区之一，但大多数国家的低视力护理和康复服务不足，在某些情况下甚至不存在。本范围综述旨在确定撒哈拉以南非洲地区低视力护理和康复的障碍和促进因素，并在全球背景下评估这些因素。该综述使用了五步 Arksey 和 O'Malley 框架进行。根据研究问题制定了搜索术语，并设计了搜索策略，以从电子数据库中搜索符合条件的研究文章；Pubmed、Ovid、Medline 和 Embase。根据设定的纳入和排除标准，由两名研究团队成员对数据进行筛选。260 篇文章中有 25 篇符合研究纳入标准。眼科保健从业者指出，低视力护理基础设施和用品不足、低视力护理提供者的培训不规范、卫生系统失效以及对低视力护理的认识不足是主要障碍。患有低视力的患者提到低视力辅助器具的成本和可用性、社会耻辱感以及对服务的认识不足是主要障碍。在撒哈拉以南非洲地区没有发现直接的促进因素；然而，从业者建议在低视力方面加强培训，作为一种潜在的促进因素。在全球背景下，低视力护理和康复服务面临的障碍并不是撒哈拉以南非洲地区所独有的。因此，采用和借鉴其他国家的解决方案可能有助于改善撒哈拉以南非洲地区的低视力护理和康复。
