School Eye Health Screening In A Province In the Democratic Republic of Congo-A Pilot Study

Authors

  • Col. K. Shyam Sundar
  • Col. V. K. Baranwal
  • Col. Avinash Mishra
  • Dr. V. Kabuyaya
  • Brig. J. K. S. Parihar

Keywords:

Ocular health, Ocular morbidity, Eye health program

Abstract

The aim of the study was to find out the baseline prevalence of ocular ailments in school going children in Goma province of Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition conscious effort was made to educate the children, their teachers, as well as parents about various aspects of maintaining good ocular health. Materials & Methods: A total 900 children of 8 schools in Goma province were screened, over a period of 3months. Visual acuity was tested with alphabet or E-chart. Color vision defects tested with Ishihara’s pseudoisochromatic plates. Children below 6 years of age were asked to trace lines on plates. Results: Male children were 55.33% and females were 44.66%. The most common ocular ailment detected was uncorrected refractive errors in 15%  children. Myopia (41%) was the most common refractive error. Allergic conjunctivitis was the second most common cause of ocular morbidity (7.22%), other ocular ailment are as follows corneal opacities (2.67%), pterygium (0.67%), Cataract (1.22%), uveitis (0.89%) and squint was seen in (0.44%). Conclusion: this being the first school eye health screening program, could be a guideline for further surveys and help in implementation of school eye health programs in the province, thus reducing the quantum of preventable blindness.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Nicksy G, Jaume J. Jagadish D, Mark P. Riziki Y Jean J. Olen K, Marietjie V, and Cara C. Burns Phylogeny of Imported and Phylogeny of Imported and Reestablished Wild Polioviruses in the Democratic Republic of the Congo From 2006 to 2011.J Infect Dis. 2014 Nov 1, 210(Suppl 1):S361-S367

Heather M. Benoit K, Audry M. Calixte S, Tiekoura C Ricardo O, Jean-J T Elisabeth P. Sheilagh B Balcha M, Katrina K, Antecedent causes of a measles resurgence in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Pan Afr Med J 2015 21:30

Tshikuka JG, Okenge L, Lukuka A. et al. Severity of outcomes associated to illnesses funded by GFATM initiative and socio demographic and economic factors associated with HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria mortality in Kinshasa hospitals, DRC Ethiop J Health Sci 2014;24:299-306

Ministry of Public Health Expanded Programme on Immunization. Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2012. Democratic Republic of the Congo Strategic Plan for Measles Elimination 2012-2020.

du Plan M. DRC: Enquête Démographique et de Santé République Démocratique du Congo 2013 2014 Kinshasa: Ministère du Plan et Suivi de la Mise en oeuvre de la Révolution de la Modernité, Ministère de la Santé Publique et ICF International;2014

The currently most common causes of childhood blindness in Kinshasa (dR. Congo)] Klin Monbl Augenheilkd.2007 Jul:224(7):597-602.

Mishra A, Bhagara A. School Eye Health - Much More Than Vision Screening Journal. Marine Medical Society: 2009: Vol. 11. No.2

Causes of visual impairment and blindness in children in three ecological regions of Nepal: Nepal Pediatric Ocular Diseases Study. Clin Ophthalmol.2015 Aug 25;9:1543-7

Prevalence of visual impairment and refractive Errors in Children of South Sinai, Egypt. Ophthalmic Epidemiol 2015;22(4)246-52.

Thulasiraj RD. Aravind S. Pradhan K Spectacles for the Millions Addressing a priority of "VISION 2020 - The Right to Sight" Community Ophthalmol. 2003 3:19-21

Bourne RA Dineen BP. Noorul Hug DM, All SM.Johnson GJ Correction of refractive error in the adult population of Bangladesh: Meeting the unmet need. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2004;45:410-7.

Naidoo KS, Leasher J. Bourne RR. FIaxman SR. Jonas JB, Keeffe J. Limburg H, Pesudovs K. Price H White RA Wong TY Taylor HR Resnikoff S Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study Global Vision Impairment and Blindness Due to Uncorrected Refractive Error, 19902010 Optom Vis Sci 2016 Mar,93(3).227-34.

Geneva: World Health Organization c2011 [Last cited on 2011 Dec 12.

Downloads

Published

2017-06-13

How to Cite

Sundar, C. K. S. ., Baranwal, C. V. K. ., Mishra, C. A. ., Kabuyaya, D. V. ., & Parihar, B. J. K. S. . (2017). School Eye Health Screening In A Province In the Democratic Republic of Congo-A Pilot Study. VIMS Health Science Journal, 4(2), 82–85. Retrieved from https://vimshsj.edu.in/index.php/main/article/view/266

Issue

Section

Articles