Visual screening; government, private and community school going children in Faisalabad

ABSTRACT

Various eye diseases affect school going children. They do not complain of defective vision usually. Uncorrected visual problems are the basic reason for early visual impairment and blindness. An early diagnosis and treatment can reduce it to a great extent. To reduce the prevalence of avoidable blindness among urban children in Pakistan. It was an observational and interventional study conducted in various Government, Private and Community Schools. The children requiring detailed ophthalmic examination and surgeries were referred to Diagnostic and Research Centre, Department of Ophthalmology, Allied Hospital, Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad. January, 2013 - December, 2013. Age 5 -16 years. Total 60,402 children were screened from 87 government, private and community schools. All the students were screened for eye disorders by testing visual acuity with Snellen's chart, anterior segment by torch light examination and fundus examination with ophthalmoscope. The study team included the school teachers, a clinical ophthalmologist, a refractionist, a community ophthalmologist, an optometrist, an ophthalmic technician, physiologist, PG trainees and a community social worker. The children identified with more complex visual problems were referred for detailed examination to Allied Hospital. Every government, private and community school of the target area was visited. All the data was collected, arranged and analyzed. During study period, total 60,402 children were screened from 87 government, private and community schools. The students having visual acuity >/= 6/12, with or without glasses, were considered as normal. Out of 60,402 screened children, 54966 [91.01%] were normal and 5436 [8.99%] were identified by the teachers with the eye problems. 2,028 [3.35%] students were provided spectacles. Among these, 364 were boys and 1664 were girls. This shows 18% refractive error in boys and 82% in girls. 120 children were treated by surgery; 63 for cataract [0.1%], 42 for squint [0.06%] and 15 [0.02%] for ptosis. Other identified ocular problems were chalazion 671[1.11%], blepheritis 696 [1.15%], corneal ulcer/ opacity 7 [0.01%], conjunctivitis 1133 [1.87%], non-cooperative 781 [1.29%]. In urban areas of Faisalabad district, 8.99% of school going children needed treatment for their ocular problems. School screening programs could play an essential role in the betterment of eye health and the avoidance of blindness among urban children in Pakistan