Epidemiology of childhood blindness: A community-based study in Bangladesh

PLoS One. 2019 Jun 7;14(6):e0211991. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0211991. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and causes of childhood blindness in a rural area of Bangladesh. We adopted a cross-sectional quantitative study design for this study, which was performed in three unions (sub-districts) located in Raiganj Upazila of the Sirajganj district in Bangladesh. Using a validated tool, a screening program was conducted at the household level. After initial screening, a team of ophthalmologists confirmed the diagnoses by clinical examinations. The prevalence of childhood blindness was observed to be 6.3 per 10,000 children, whereas the rate of uniocular blindness was 4.8 per 10,000 children. Congenital problems were the major causes of both uniocular and binocular blindness (uniocular blindness: 84% and binocular blindness: 92%). The whole globe was the site responsible for binocular blindness (28.0%, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 13.1, 47.7), whereas the cornea was responsible for uniocular blindness (57.8%, 95% CI: 35.3, 78.1). Childhood blindness is a public health problem in Bangladesh and is highly prevalent, regardless of sex. The major causes of childhood blindness are congenital.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Bangladesh / epidemiology
  • Blindness / congenital
  • Blindness / epidemiology*
  • Blindness / etiology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Corneal Diseases
  • Economic Status
  • Eye Diseases
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Prevalence

Grants and funding

A.H.M Enayet Hussain received funding (no grant number) from the Disabled Rehabilitation Research Association (DRRA), Bangladesh. http://www.drra-bd.org/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.