RESUMEN
The aim of this study was to determine the anatomical, aetiological and avoidable causes of childhood severe visual impairment and blindness, and to produce base line data for developing strategies for preventing childhood visual loss. A prospective hospital based study of 723 children aged 0-15 years who attended the Paediatric Ophthalmology and Squint clinics from January 1992 to July 1995 was carried out, and the results compiled according to the WHO/ICEH childhood blindness form. 36% of our children were blind, whereas another 9% had severe visual impairment. 41.77% children had unilateral visual loss, with SVI/BL in 90%. The anatomical causes of SVI/BL were lens 27%, retina 11.6%, corneal scarring/phthisis bulbi 6.8%, optic nerve 4.6%. Of the aetiological causes, Hereditary factors accounted for 28.1% of the cases. Intrauterine 2.1%, Perinatal 2.1% Childhood 4.2% and unknown 54% were other important causes of SVI/BL in children. Over 80% of the causes of SVI/BL are preventable or treated. There is a need to develop a control programme for childhood blindness as part to the National Plan for Prevention of Blindness