Aetiology of blindness in an Afghan refugee community in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

The prevalence and aetiology of visual loss and of eye diseases were determined in a resident Afghan refugee community in Northern Pakistan. A 30 cluster random sample survey of 1156 persons was conducted representing the non-migrant Afghan refugee population. The survey revealed that 2.0% of the population are blind and another 6.9% are visually impaired according to the World Health Organization definition. The most common causes of blindness include cataract, uncorrected refractive error, retinal degeneration/dystrophy, and glaucoma. Corneal opacities, cataract, uncorrected refractive error, optic atrophy, pthisis and amblyopia are also important causes of unilateral lost vision. Active trachoma [TF, TI] was found in 4% of all children under 10 years of age