Trends in prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment over 30 years: an analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study

Background: To contribute to the WHO initiative, VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, an assessment of global vision impairment in 2020 and temporal change is needed. We aimed to extensively update estimates of global vision loss burden, presenting estimates for 2020, temporal change over three decades between 1990–2020, and forecasts for 2050. Methods: We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based surveys of eye disease from January, 1980, to October, 2018. Only studies with samples representative of the population and with clearly defined visual acuity testing protocols were included. We fitted hierarchical models to estimate 2020 prevalence (with 95% uncertainty intervals [UIs]) of mild vision impairment (presenting visual acuity ≥6/18 and <6/12), moderate and severe vision impairment (<6/18 to 3/60), and blindness (<3/60 or less than 10° visual field around central fixation); and vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia (presenting near vision <N6 or <N8 at 40 cm where best-corrected distance visual acuity is ≥6/12). We forecast estimates of vision loss up to 2050. Findings: In 2020, an estimated 43·3 million (95% UI 37·6–48·4) people were blind, of whom 23·9 million (55%; 20·8–26·8) were estimated to be female. We estimated 295 million (267–325) people to have moderate and severe vision impairment, of whom 163 million (55%; 147–179) were female; 258 million (233–285) to have mild vision impairment, of whom 142 million (55%; 128–157) were female; and 510 million (371–667) to have visual impairment from uncorrected presbyopia, of whom 280 million (55%; 205–365) were female. Globally, between 1990 and 2020, among adults aged 50 years or older, age-standardised prevalence of blindness decreased by 28·5% (–29·4 to −27·7) and prevalence of mild vision impairment decreased slightly (–0·3%, −0·8 to −0·2), whereas prevalence of moderate and severe vision impairment increased slightly (2·5%, 1·9 to 3·2; insufficient data were available to calculate this statistic for vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia). In this period, the number of people who were blind increased by 50·6% (47·8 to 53·4) and the number with moderate and severe vision impairment increased by 91·7% (87·6 to 95·8). By 2050, we predict 61·0 million (52·9 to 69·3) people will be blind, 474 million (428 to 518) will have moderate and severe vision impairment, 360 million (322 to 400) will have mild vision impairment, and 866 million (629 to 1150) will have uncorrected presbyopia. Interpretation: Age-adjusted prevalence of blindness has reduced over the past three decades, yet due to population growth, progress is not keeping pace with needs. We face enormous challenges in avoiding vision impairment as the global population grows and ages

Mapping inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries, 2000–2018

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF)—giving infants only breast-milk for the first 6 months of life—is a component of optimal breastfeeding practices effective in preventing child morbidity and mortality. EBF practices are known to vary by population and comparable subnational estimates of prevalence and progress across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are required for planning policy and interventions. Here we present a geospatial analysis of EBF prevalence estimates from 2000 to 2018 across 94 LMICs mapped to policy-relevant administrative units (for example, districts), quantify subnational inequalities and their changes over time, and estimate probabilities of meeting the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) of ≥70% EBF prevalence by 2030. While six LMICs are projected to meet the WHO GNT of ≥70% EBF prevalence at a national scale, only three are predicted to meet the target in all their district-level units by 2030

Caffeine, alcohol, khat, and tobacco use during pregnancy in Butajira, South Central Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND:The use of excessive caffeine and consumption of alcohol, cigarette, and khat during pregnancy can result in adverse health effects on the fetus. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a daily caffeine intake not exceeding 300 mg. Likewise, pregnant women are recommended to avoid alcohol, khat and tobacco use. However, the prevalence's of the use of substances among pregnant women were not well studied in developing countries such as Ethiopia. Therefore, the study aimed to estimate the prevalence of caffeine and alcohol consumption, khat chewing, and tobacco use during pregnancy and identify key factors associated with excess caffeine consumption. METHODS:We conducted a community based cross-sectional study and used a random sampling technique to recruit 352 pregnant women. We adapted a questionnaire from Caffeine Consumption Questionnaire-Revised (CCQ-R), Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT), Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), and Ethiopian Demographic Health Survey 2016 for caffeine, alcohol consumption, tobacco use, and khat chewing assessment, respectively. We conducted non-consecutive two days 24-hour recall to determine the habitual intake of caffeine from caffeinated beverages and foods. Prevalence with 95% confidence interval was estimated for excess caffeine intake per day, alcohol consumption, khat chewing, and passive tobacco smoking. We ran a multivariable binary logistic regression model to identify factors associated with excess caffeine intake. RESULTS:Almost all pregnant women (98.2%) consumed caffeine as estimated using the 2 days 24-hour average. The median daily caffeine intake was 170.5 mg and ranged from 0.00 mg to 549.8 mg per day. In addition, 17.6% (95% CI: 13.9%, 22.0%) of them had a daily caffeine consumption of 300 mg and above exceeding the WHO recommended daily caffeine intake during pregnancy. The prevalence of alcohol consumption and Khat chewing were 10.0% (95% CI: 7.2%, 13.7%) and 35.8% (95% CI: 30.8, 41.0%) respectively. None of the pregnant women were active tobacco smokers. However, 23.2% (95% CI: 19.0, 28.0%) were passive tobacco smokers. We found that pregnant women in the richest wealth quintile (AOR = 3.66; 95% CI: 1.13, 11.88), and the first trimester of pregnancy (AOR = 4.04; 95% CI: 1.26, 13.05) had higher odds of consuming excessive caffeine. CONCLUSIONS:The study showed a considerable magnitude of substance use among pregnant women in the study area. Given this findings, we recommend, programs and services focusing on pregnant women to consider addressing substance use

Feeding Practices among Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Exposed Infants in Ethiopia: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background. Infant and young child feeding in the context of human immunodeficiency virus- (HIV-) infected mothers has significant challenges due to the risk of transmission of the virus via breastfeeding. In Ethiopia, a number of independent studies have been conducted to assess the feeding practice of HIV-exposed infants. But, there is no concrete evidence to show the national figure in Ethiopia. Hence, this review and meta-analysis aims to estimate the pooled prevalence of feeding practices among HIV exposed infants in Ethiopia. Methods. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline was followed. Articles were searched through search engines in PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and direct Google search. Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument adapted for cross-sectional study design was used for quality assessment. The random effects model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of infant feeding practices. Heterogeneity and publication bias were assessed. Trim and fill analysis was performed. Additionally, meta-regression was also performed. Results. In this review, a total of 26, 22, and 22 studies and 7413, 6224, and 6222 study participants for exclusive breastfeeding, replacement feeding, and mixed feelings were included, respectively. The overall pooled prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding, replacement feeding, and mixed feeding of HIV exposed infant was 63.99 % (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 52.32, 75.66), 16.13% (95% CI: 11.92, 20.32), and 20.95% (95% CI: 11.35, 30.58)) in Ethiopia, respectively. Conclusion and Recommendations. In Ethiopia, almost three in five HIV-exposed infants were exclusively breastfed. But still, mixed feeding during the period of first 6 months was practiced in almost one-fifth of the exposed infants in Ethiopia. Additionally, replacement feeding was also practiced even though not recommended for developing countries. Therefore, the government of Ethiopia should strengthen the health institutions to implement the existing infant feeding strategies and guidelines to increase exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and to avoid mixed feeding during the periods of six months

The impact of peer pressure on cigarette smoking among high school and university students in Ethiopia : a systemic review and meta-analysis

Background Cigarettes and their by-products (i.e., smoke; ash) are a complex, dynamic, and reactive mixture of around 5,000 chemicals. Cigarette smoking potentially harms nearly every organ of the human body, causes innumerable diseases, and impacts the health of smokers and those interacting with the smokers. Smoking brings greater health problems in the long-term like increased risk of stroke and brain damage. For students, peer pressure is one of the key factors contributing to cigarette smoking. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the impact of peer pressure on cigarette smoking among high school and university students in Ethiopia. Methods An extensive search of key databases including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Google Scholar, Hinari, Embase and Science Direct was conducted to identify and access articles published on the prevalence of cigarette smoking by high school and university students in Ethiopia. The search period for articles was conducted from 21st September, 2018 to 25th December 25, 2018. All necessary data were extracted using a standardized data extraction checklist. Quality and risk of bias of studies were assessed using standardized tools. Heterogeneity between the included studies was assessed using Cochrane Q-test statistic and I2 test. To estimate the pooled prevalence of cigarette smoking, a random effects model was fitted. The impact of peer pressure on cigarette smoking was determined and was reported in Odds Ratio (OR) with 95% Confidence Interval (CI). Meta-analysis was conducted using Stata software. Results From 175 searched articles, 19 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in this study. The pooled prevalence of cigarette smoking among Ethiopian high school and university students was 15.9% (95% CI: 12.21, 19.63). Slightly higher prevalence of cigarette smoking was noted among university students [17.35% (95% CI: 13.21, 21.49)] as compared to high school students [12.77% (95% CI: 6.72%, 18.82%)]. The current aggregated meta-analysis revealed that peer pressure had a significant influence on cigarette smoking (OR: 2.68 (95% CI: 2.37, 3.03). Conclusion More than one sixth of the high school and university students in Ethiopia smoke cigarette. Students who had peer pressure from their friends were more likely to smoke cigarette. Therefore, school-based intervention programs are needed to reduce the high prevalence of cigarette smoking among students in Ethiopia

Trends in prevalence of blindness and distance and near vision impairment over 30 years: An analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study

Background: To contribute to the WHO initiative, VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, an assessment of global vision impairment in 2020 and temporal change is needed. We aimed to extensively update estimates of global vision loss burden, presenting estimates for 2020, temporal change over three decades between 1990–2020, and forecasts for 2050. Methods: We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of population-based surveys of eye disease from January, 1980, to October, 2018. Only studies with samples representative of the population and with clearly defined visual acuity testing protocols were included. We fitted hierarchical models to estimate 2020 prevalence (with 95% uncertainty intervals [UIs]) of mild vision impairment (presenting visual acuity ≥6/18 and \u3c6/12), moderate and severe vision impairment (\u3c6/18 to 3/60), and blindness (\u3c3/60 or less than 10° visual field around central fixation); and vision impairment from uncorrected presbyopia (presenting near visio

Mapping inequalities in exclusive breastfeeding in low- and middle-income countries, 2000–2018

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF)—giving infants only breast-milk for the first 6 months of life—is a component of optimal breastfeeding practices effective in preventing child morbidity and mortality. EBF practices are known to vary by population and comparable subnational estimates of prevalence and progress across low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are required for planning policy and interventions. Here we present a geospatial analysis of EBF prevalence estimates from 2000 to 2018 across 94 LMICs mapped to policy-relevant administrative units (for example, districts), quantify subnational inequalities and their changes over time, and estimate probabilities of meeting the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) of ≥70% EBF prevalence by 2030. While six LMICs are projected to meet the WHO GNT of ≥70% EBF prevalence at a national scale, only three are predicted to meet the target in all their district-level units by 2030.</p