This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Muñoz, B Articles by West, S K Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Muñoz, B Articles by West, S K

Blindness and visual impairment in the Americas and the Caribbean

Series editors: WV Good and S Ruit

Dana Center, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Beatriz Munoz, Wilmer Eye Institute, Room 118, Johns Hopkins University, 600 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA

ABSTRACT
Aim: To summarise available data on the prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in the Americas and the Caribbean.

Methods: The published literature was searched in Medline and LILACS using the following key words: blindness, visual impairment, prevalence. Articles were reviewed, and the references of the articles were also searched for relevant articles, which were also reviewed.

Results: Using the mortality in children under the age of 5 as an indicator, the overall prevalence of childhood blindness (in the under age 15 group) for the region was estimated at 0.45/1000, with the majority (67%) living in countries with mortality of children under age 5 above 30/1000 live births. Corneal opacities were more common in countries where the under 5 year mortality are above 30/1000 live births and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) was an important cause in countries with intermediate death rates. For adults, overall blindness rates were not estimated because of the social, economic, and ethnic diversity in the region. The primary causes of visual loss in adults in the Americas were age related eye diseases, notably cataract and glaucoma in the African-American and Hispanic populations, and age related macular degeneration in the white population. Uncorrected refractive error was a significant cause of decreased vision across ages, ethnic groups, and countries.

Conclusion: More data are needed on the magnitude and causes of visual loss for the Caribbean and Latin American countries. Rates of blindness and visual loss from available data within these countries are widely disparate. Prevention and control of avoidable blindness needs to be an ongoing focus in this region.

Keywords: blindness; visual impairment; Americas; Caribbean

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M Rosman, T Y Wong, W Wong, M L Wong, and S-M Saw Knowledge and beliefs associated with refractive errors and undercorrection: the Singapore Malay Eye Study Br. J. Ophthalmol., January 1, 2009; 93(1): 4 - 10. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. F. Chiang, R. Gelman, S. L. Williams, J.-Y. Lee, D. S. Casper, M. E. Martinez-Perez, and J. T. Flynn Plus Disease in Retinopathy of Prematurity: Development of Composite Images by Quantification of Expert Opinion Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci., September 1, 2008; 49(9): 4064 - 4070. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. Limburg, F. B. von-Bischhoffshausen, P. Gomez, J. C. Silva, and A. Foster Review of recent surveys on blindness and visual impairment in Latin America Br. J. Ophthalmol., March 1, 2008; 92(3): 315 - 319. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. F. Chiang, L. Wang, M. Busuioc, Y. E. Du, P. Chan, S. A. Kane, T. C. Lee, D. J. Weissgold, A. M. Berrocal, O. Coki, et al. Telemedical Retinopathy of Prematurity Diagnosis: Accuracy, Reliability, and Image Quality Arch Ophthalmol, November 1, 2007; 125(11): 1531 - 1538. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. F. Chiang, L. Jiang, R. Gelman, Y. E. Du, and J. T. Flynn Interexpert Agreement of Plus Disease Diagnosis in Retinopathy of Prematurity Arch Ophthalmol, July 1, 2007; 125(7): 875 - 880. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A Fotouhi, H Hashemi, K Mohammad, and K H Jalali The prevalence and causes of visual impairment in Tehran: the Tehran Eye Study Br. J. Ophthalmol., June 1, 2004; 88(6): 740 - 745. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]