Prevalence of visual impairment and eye diseases in Afghan refugees in Pakistan

ABSTRACT

The prevalence and etiology of visual loss and eye diseases were determined in a resident Afghan refugee community in northern Pakistan. The survey included 1156 people and revealed that 2.1% of the population were blind and 6.9% were visually impaired according to WHO criteria. The leading causes of blindness included cataract [62.5%], uncorrected refractive errors [16.6%], retinal degeneration/dystrophy [12.5%], glaucoma [4.2%] and microphthalmos [4.2%]. The causes of visual loss were uncorrected refractive errors [46.2%], cataract [32.7%] and corneal opacities [4.8%]. These conditions were also important causes of unilateral lost vision. Active trachoma was found in 3.7% of all children under 10 years of age