Alemayehu W, Tekle-Haimanot R, Forsgren L, Erkstedt J
Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Abeba University, Ethiopia.
Ethiop Med J. 1995 Jul;33(3):163-74.
A survey conducted on a stable, mainly rural population of 60,820 in Central Ethiopia revealed an overall blindness prevalence of 1.1%. A follow up study was carried out to accurately determine the etiologies and causes of visual loss and impairment. A detailed ophthalmic evaluation was done on 523 out of 872 individuals identified as being visually impaired. The results showed that 194 (37%) were blind (Categories 3, 4, and 5 = maximum visual acuity less than 3/60 in the better eye). One hundred and seven (21%) (Categories 1 & 2 = maximum visual acuity better than 3/60 to less than 6/18 in the better eye using the WHO categories of visual impairment). The rest 222 (43%) were blind in one eye only. The commonest anatomical cause of blindness is corneal (32%). Cataract (25%), atrophied globe(s) (20%) and glaucoma (17%) follow as the other leading causes. Trachoma (35%), degenerative conditions (35%) and other infections (9%) were the major etiologies of blindness. Similar pattern of anatomical causation was observed in those classified under categories of visual impairment 1 and 2, referred to as "low vision". The most important etiologies of low vision were trachoma (30%), degenerative (24%), trauma (13%) and other infections (8%). Trauma was the most important etiology of monocular blindness (39%). Blindness was either preventable or curable in 74% of the cases.
在埃塞俄比亚中部对60820名主要为农村人口的稳定群体进行的一项调查显示，总体失明患病率为1.1%。开展了一项后续研究，以准确确定视力丧失和损伤的病因。对872名被确定为视力受损的个体中的523人进行了详细的眼科评估。结果显示，194人（37%）失明（3、4和5级 = 较好眼的最佳视力低于3/60）。107人（21%）（1和2级 = 使用世界卫生组织视力损伤分类，较好眼的最佳视力优于3/60至低于6/18）。其余222人（43%）仅单眼失明。失明最常见的解剖学原因是角膜（32%）。白内障（25%）、眼球萎缩（20%）和青光眼（17%）是其他主要原因。沙眼（35%）、退行性疾病（35%）和其他感染（9%）是失明的主要病因。在被归类为视力损伤1级和2级（即“低视力”）的人群中，观察到了类似的解剖学因果模式。低视力最重要的病因是沙眼（30%）、退行性疾病（24%）、创伤（13%）和其他感染（8%）。创伤是单眼失明最重要的病因（39%）。74%的病例中的失明是可以预防或治愈的。
