Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness

and to evaluate the Rapid Assessment for Avoidable Blindness (RAAB), a new methodology to measure the magnitude and causes of blindness. Design: Cross-sectional population-based survey. Participants: Seventy-six clusters of 50 people 50 years or older were selected by probability proportionate to size sampling of clusters. Households within clusters were selected through compact segment sampling. Three thousand seven hundred eighty-four eligible subjects were selected, of whom 3503 (92.6%) were examined. Methods: Participants underwent a comprehensive ophthalmic examination in their homes by an ophthalmologist, including measurement of visual acuity (VA) with a tumbling-E chart and the diagnosis of the principal cause of visual impairment. Those who had undergone cataract surgery were questioned about the details of the operation and their satisfaction with surgery. Those who were visually impaired from cataract were asked why they had not gone for surgery. Main Outcome Measures: Visual acuity and principal cause of VA�6/18. Results: The prevalence of bilateral blindness (presenting VA � 3/60) was 2.0 % (95 % confidence interval [CI], 1.5%–2.4%), and prevalence of bilateral visual impairment (VA of �6/18–�6/60) was 5.8 % (95 % CI

Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness in Western Rwanda: Blindness in a Postconflict Setting

A survey of 2,250 people aged 50 y or over in Rwanda, based on clusters of 50 people, found a much lower prevalence of blindness than expected

Avoidable Waste in Ophthalmic Epidemiology: A Review of Blindness Prevalence Surveys in Low and Middle Income Countries 2000–2014

Purpose:- Sources of avoidable waste in ophthalmic epidemiology include duplication of effort, and survey reports remaining unpublished, gaining publication after a long delay, or being incomplete or of poor quality. The aim of this review was to assess these sources of avoidable waste by examining blindness prevalence surveys undertaken in low and middle income countries (LMICs) between 2000 and 2014. Methods:- On December 1 2016 we searched MEDLINE, EMBASE and Web of Science databases for cross-sectional blindness prevalence surveys undertaken in LMICs between 2000–2014. All surveys listed on the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) Repository website (“the Repository”) were also considered. For each survey we assessed i) availability of scientific publication, survey report, summary results tables and/or datasets; ii) time to publication from year of survey completion and journal attributes; iii) extent of blindness information reported; and iv) rigour when information was available from two sources (i.e. whether it matched). Results:- Of the 279 included surveys (from 68 countries) 186 (67%) used RAAB methodology; 146 (52%) were published in a scientific journal, 57 (20%) were published in a journal and on the Repository, and 76 (27%) were on the Repository only (8% had tables; 19% had no information available beyond registration). Datasets were available for 50 RAABs (18% of included surveys). Time to publication ranged from <1–11 years (mean, standard deviation 2.8±1.8 years). The extent of blindness information reported within studies varied (e.g. presenting and best-corrected, unilateral and bilateral); those with both a published report and Repository tables were most complete. For surveys published and with RAAB tables available, discrepancies were found in reporting of participant numbers (14% of studies) and blindness prevalence (15%). Conclusion:- Strategies are needed to improve the availability, consistency and quality of information reported from blindness prevalence surveys, and hence reduce avoidable waste

Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness: looking back, looking forward.

The Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness, or RAAB, is a relatively simple and low-cost survey methodology to provide data on the prevalence and causes of visual loss. The aim of this article is to reflect on the achievements and challenges of RAAB, and to describe the future developments that are needed to ensure that it remains a relevant and widely used tool. To date, at least 331 RAABs have been undertaken in 79 countries, and these surveys provide an important source of information on visual loss at both the local and global level. A RAAB repository has been developed which includes the site and date of RAABs undertaken, and, where authors have agreed, the core indicators, reports or even raw data from the survey. This dataset has already been used for meta-analyses, and there are further opportunities for its use. Despite these achievements, there are core areas in which RAAB needs to be strengthened so that the full benefits of undertaking the survey can be reaped. Key developments of RAAB are underway, and will include greater use of mobile technologies using a cloud-based platform to enable both digital data collection, real-time survey reviews, reporting and analysis, and a greater emphasis on using the data for planning

Biological processes and links to the physics

Analysis of the temporal and spatial variability of biological processes and identification of the main variables that drive the dynamic regime of marine ecosystems is complex. Correlation between physical variables and long-term changes in ecosystems has routinely been identified, but the specific mechanisms involved remain often unclear. Reasons for this could be various: the ecosystem can be very sensitive to the seasonal timing of the anomalous physical forcing; the ecosystem can be contemporaneously influenced by many physical variables and the ecosystem can generate intrinsic variability on climate time scales. Marine ecosystems are influenced by a variety of physical factors, e.g., light, temperature, transport, turbulence. Temperature has a fundamental forcing function in biology, with direct influences on rate processes of organisms and on the distribution of mobile species that have preferred temperature ranges. Light and transport also affect the physiology and distribution of marine organisms. Small-scale turbulence determines encounter between larval fish and their prey and additionally influences the probability of successful pursuit and ingestion. The impact of physical forcing variations on biological processes is studied through long-term observations, process studies, laboratory experiments, retrospective analysis of existing data sets and modelling. This manuscript reviews the diversity of physical influences on biological processes, marine organisms and ecosystems and their variety of responses to physical forcing with special emphasis on the dynamics of zooplankton and fish stocks

Cukorbetegség és retinopathia diabetica regionális egyenlőtlenségei Magyarországon az 50 éves és idősebb korú lakosság körében | Regional disparities in the prevalence of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy in Hungary in people aged 50 years and older

Absztrakt: Bevezetés: A cukorbetegség az egyik leggyakoribb oka a vakságnak az 50 éves vagy idősebb korú lakosság körében. Célkitűzés: Tanulmányunk célja a cukorbetegség és a retinopathia diabetica (RD) prevalenciájának meghatározása, illetve a cukorbetegek szemészeti ellátása lefedettségének vizsgálata hazánk különböző részein. Módszer: Százöt lakókörzetben, összesen 3675, 50 éves vagy idősebb korú személyt vontunk be a vizsgálatba. A standardizált rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) + diabetic retinopathy module (DRM) segítségével vizsgáltuk a résztvevőket, majd a Nyugat-, Közép- és Kelet-Magyarország közötti különbségeket. Eredmények: A cukorbetegség prevalenciája Kelet-Magyarországon (20,9%) magasabb volt, mint Nyugat- (19,5%) és Közép-Magyarországon (19,5%). Az RD prevalenciája Nyugat-Magyarországon (24,1%) magasabb volt, mint Közép- (17,8%) és Kelet-Magyarországon (19,6%). A közép-magyarországi résztvevők között volt a legkisebb azon páciensek aránya (19,1%), akik még sohasem vettek részt szemfenékvizsgálaton. Következtetések: A cukorbetegség szemészeti szövődményei gyakoriságának csökkentése céljából fontos lenne a szemészeti alapellátás – főleg vidéki településeken való – megerősítése, vagy szemészeti telemedicinális országos szűrés bevezetése és végzése. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(10), 362–367. | Abstract: Introduction: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the main causes of blindness among persons aged 50 years and older. Aim: The purpose of our survey was to estimate the prevalence of DM and diabetic retinopathy (DR), as well as to assess the coverage of diabetic eye care services in different regions of Hungary. Method: In 105 clusters, 3675 people aged 50 years and older were included in the survey. The standardized rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) with the diabetic retinopathy module (DRM) was used to examine the participants. Thereafter, differences between West-, Middle- and East-Hungary were analysed. Results: Prevalence of DM was higher in East-Hungary (20.9%), than in West- (19.5%) and in Middle-Hungary (19.5%). Prevalence od DR was higher in West-Hungary (24.1%), than in Middle- (17.8%) and in East-Hungary (19.6%). Proportion of participants who never had a fundus examination for DR was the lowest in Middle-Hungary (19.1%). Conclusions: Primary care should be strenghten mainly in country settlements or telemedical eye screening program should be started to decrease the prevalence of diabetic eye complications. Orv. Hetil., 2017, 158(10), 362–367

Prevalence and Causes of Vision Loss in High-Income Countries and in Eastern and Central Europe in 2015: Magnitude, Temporal Trends, and Projections

Background: Within a surveillance of the prevalence and causes of vision impairment in high-income regions and Central/Eastern Europe, we update figures through 2015 and forecast expected values in 2020. Methods: Based on a systematic review of medical literature, prevalence of blindness, moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI), mild vision impairment and presbyopia were estimated for 1990, 2010, 2015, and 2020. Results: Age-standardized prevalence of blindness and MSVI for all ages decreased from 1990 to 2015 from 0.26% (0.10-0.46) to 0.15% (0.06-0.26), and from 1.74% (0.76-2.94) to 1.27% (0.55-2.17), respectively. In 2015, the number of individuals affected by blindness, MSVI and mild vision impairment ranged from 70,000, 630,000 and 610,000, respectively, in Australasia to 980,000, 7.46 million and 7.25 million, respectively, in North America and 1.16 million, 9.61 million and 9.47 million in Western Europe. In 2015, cataract was the most common cause for blindness, followed by age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, uncorrected refractive error, diabetic retinopathy, and cornea-related disorders, with declining burden from cataract and AMD over time. Uncorrected refractive error was the leading cause of MSVI. Conclusions: While continuing to advance control of cataract and AMD as the leading causes of blindness remains a high priority, overcoming barriers to uptake of refractive error services would address approximately half of the MSVI burden. New data on burden of presbyopia identify this entity as an important public health problem in this population. Additional research on better treatments, better implementation with existing tools and ongoing surveillance of the problem are needed