Eye health care services in eastern Mediterranean Region Countries

ABSTRACT

To describe eye health care services in 2003 in 22 Eastern Mediterranean Region countries. Data were collected and reviewed from the reports of national programs for the prevention of blindness in the 22 Eastern Mediterranean Region countries. The data obtained were further processed and analyzed by using Excel 2000 program. The prevalence of blindness ranged from 0.7% to 2.0%. The total number of cataract surgeries per one million inhabitants per year [CSR] in 2003 was calculated and ranged from 260 [Afghanistan] to 2250 [Pakistan]. The number of ophthalmologists in the 22 countries ranged from one ophthalmologist for 565.000 population in Somalia to one ophthalmologist for 14.000 in Egypt. Eye health care services in Eastern Mediterranean Region countries differ from country to country due to various economic and political factors in the region