Cataract Surgery Informed Consent Survey

To evaluate the importance patients attach to informed consent and the information they are given during counselling for cataract surgery. A total number of sixty one patients who came for cataract surgery during the eye camp in Owo in August, 2006 were randomly selected using simple random sampling and interviewed. Most respondents attached importance to informed consent and considered it as a legal document. The information the respondents considered most important was the chances of restoration of vision after operation. Chances of vision restoration was very important to the respondents. Keywords: Informed consent, cataract surgery. The Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 51 (6) 2007: pp. 133-13

Eye Care Preferences Among Rural Nigerians

This is a cross sectional community based study that determined the eye care seeking dispositions of the adult Nigerians using the inhabitants of Afon a rural community in Kwara State, Nigeria as a case study. A total of three hundred and thirty nine (339) adult inhabitants of the Community were selected using cluster sampling technique. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered on the respondents by the author and three assistants. Most respondents (62.5%) resorted to orthodox eye care while a few (8.8%) sought traditional eye care. Others (26.3%) received no treatment at all while 2.4% sought spiritual and other combinations. The preferred mode of eye care was the orthodox care. Keywords: Eye Care, Preferences, NigeriaNigerian Journal of Surgical Sciences Vol. 17 (2) 2007: pp. 116-12

Community Acceptance of Collaboration Between Ophthalmologists and Traditional Healers in Rural Nigeria

This is a cross sectional community-based study that determined acceptability of collaboration between ophthalmologists and traditional eye care providers in Afon a rural community in Kwara state, Nigeria. The views of traditional healers and ophthalmologists were also sought. This study was conducted between March and April, 2005 as well as September,2007. A total number of three hundred and thirty nine adult inhabitants of the community were selected by the authors using cluster sampling technique. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered on the respondents by the author for correspondence and three assistants. Information regarding bio data and view of respondents on prospects of collaboration between ophthalmologists and traditional eye care providers were obtained. A focus group discussion was held between the author for correspondence and thirty two traditional healers practicing in the community in April,2005 to establish their readiness for collaboration with ophthalmologists .One hundred and one ophthalmologists practicing in Nigeria were interviewed during the annual congress of the Ophthalmological society of Nigeria in September,2007 to establish their views on collaboration with traditional healers. Majority (77%) of the respondents in Afon community expressed support for collaboration between ophthalmologists and traditional healers while 20% did not support collaboration. The thirty two traditional healers practicing in the community were ready for collaboration with ophthalmologists. Majority of the ophthalmologists interviewed (57.6%) were against collaboration with traditional healers. Collaboration between eye care providers and traditional healers is acceptable to Afon community and traditional healers. However most Nigerian ophthalmologists are against collaboration with traditional healers. There is need for flexibility on the part of all concerned for any meaningful collaboration between ophthalmologists and traditional healers. Nigerian Medical Practitioner Vol. 52 (3) 2007: pp. 70-7

Epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy in Africa: a systematic review.

AIM: To summarize findings from studies reporting the prevalence and incidence of diabetic retinopathy and diabetic maculopathy in African countries in light of the rising prevalence of diabetes mellitus. METHODS: Using a predefined search strategy, we systematically searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Science Citation index and Conference Proceedings Citation index, African Index Medicus and the grey literature database 'OpenSIGLE' for studies published between January 1990 and February 2011. Included studies reported prevalence or incidence of diabetic retinopathy or diabetic maculopathy of subjects with diabetes resident in African countries. RESULTS: Sixty-two studies from 21 countries were included: three population-based surveys; two cohort studies; five case-control studies; 32 diabetes clinic-based, nine eye clinic-based and 11 other hospital-based surveys. Included studies varied considerably in terms of patient selection, method of assessing the eye and retinopathy classification. In population-based studies, the reported prevalence range in patients with diabetes for diabetic retinopathy was 30.2 to 31.6%, proliferative diabetic retinopathy 0.9 to 1.3%, and any maculopathy 1.2 to 4.5%. In diabetes clinic-based surveys, the reported prevalence range for diabetic retinopathy was 7.0 to 62.4%, proliferative diabetic retinopathy 0 to 6.9%, and any maculopathy 1.2 to 31.1%. No obvious association between prevalence and income level of the country was detected. CONCLUSIONS: Large, community-based cross-sectional and cohort studies are needed to investigate rates and determinants of prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, incidence and progression in Africa. Consensus is needed on the most appropriate methods of identification and classification of retinopathy for research and clinical practice. Estimates of prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, proliferative diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy are comparable with recent European and American studies