ChILDhOOD BLINDNeSS

Blindness and cataract in children in developing countries Blindness in children is considered a priority area for VISION 2020, as visually impaired children have a lifetime of blindness ahead of them.1 Various studies across the globe show that one-third to half of childhood blindness is either preventable or treatable1 and that cataract is the leading treatable cause of blindness in children.2 The 8th General Assembly of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) provided an opportunity to be acquainted with recent research and programme development work in the prevention of childhood blindness. Obtaining population-based data on childhood blindness Population-based data on childhood blindness are required in order to plan control strategies, but they are difficult to obtain: • As childhood blindness is ten times rarer than blindness in adults, population-based surveys require a very large sample size. • Examining blind children in a field study requires special expertise, a trained field team, and special equipment. • Visual acuity measurement is difficult in very young children and involves special test materials or charts. • In many communities, blind children are hidden because of stigma. Methods used for identifying blind children generally target specific locations where children may be found, in order to increase the chances of finding blind children. These methods include examining children in anganwandis (kindergartens), schools, vision centres, paediatric eye care centres, and during special outreach initiatives such as sarva siksha abhiyan (‘education for all’). The ‘key informant ’ method is another means of finding blind children. The key informant method This novel method of obtaining population-based data on childhood blindness ha