Cataract leading cause of blindness in Jigawa –Survey
Cataract has been identified as the leading cause of blindness in Jigawa State, accounting for 40.8 per cent of blindness cases, according to a state-wide eye health survey. The survey findings were presented by an eye consultant, Dr Tafida Abubakar, during a Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB7) dissemination meeting in Jigawa State on Tuesday. According […] The post Cataract leading…
A recent eye health survey in Jigawa State has revealed that cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the region, accounting for 40.8% of all blindness cases. Dr Tafida Abubakar, an eye consultant, presented the findings at a Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB7) dissemination meeting in Jigawa State. Glaucoma and corneal opacities were the next most common causes, each accounting for 23.6% and 21.1% of blindness cases respectively.
Cataract surgical complications represented 8.3% of the cases. The overall prevalence of bilateral blindness was found to be 2.9%, affecting approximately 19,638 people, while unilateral blindness stood at 3.9%, impacting an estimated 27,026 individuals. The survey also identified a significant backlog of 36,623 people requiring cataract surgery.
Unfortunately, cataract surgical coverage in Jigawa State is currently at just 34.9%, far below the World Health Organisation's recommended target of at least 80%.
Written by urgent.news from The Chronicle Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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