56 Global Eye Health
Matthew Burton 03/10/18
56.1 Measuring visual acuity
6/6 (First number is distance between test and patient. Second number is the line that they can actually read)
For people who can’t read letters, there’s also the “tumbling E’s” where you can point direction
Normal Vision is 6/6-6/12 or better
Impairment is 6/12-3/60 or worse
Blind is <3/60
You are testing the better eye!
56.2 Magnitude of Global Disease Burden
About 36 million people are blind in both eyes worldwide (2015)
About 217 million are mod/severe impaired
188 million mild visual impairment
1.1 billion near-vision impairment (as in need glasses for near vision)
89% of the global burden (blind/severe impairment) is in LMIC. And 80% of this is preventable!
The burden is in India, Africa, Asia.
This burden will increase as global population increases, and ages.
Most Sub Saharan African Countries there are 1-2 opthalmologists / 1000000 people
56.3 Causes
56.3.1 Cataract
Leading cause of global blindness
56.3.2 Refractive Error
This is the biggest cause of visual impairment. The second biggest cause of blindness.
56.3.3 Glaucoma
Third biggest global cause of blindness