title: [Prevalence and causes of blindness in the Congo].
abstract: A population-based survey on the prevalence of blindness and eye disease has been conducted throughout the Congo. This was the first time such a survey had been carried out in a central African country with an equatorial climate. In comparison with data available from other African countries, the two rather unexpected characteristics resulting from the survey were lower blindness prevalence rates and the extremely rare cases of bilateral corneal scarring. In accordance with sampling procedures recommended by the WHO Programme for the Prevention of Blindness, 7041 people were selected and examined. The prevalence of blindness (visual acuity less than 3/60 in the better eye) was 0.3% (5700 people). The prevalence of low vision (visual acuity between 6/24 and 3/60 in the better eye) was 2.1% (40,000 people). The major causes of blindness and low vision were cataract (81% and 80%, respectively) and glaucoma (9% and 3.4%, respectively). A total of 22,000 people in the Congo require cataract surgery. Almost four-fifths of the current burden of blindness in this country is potentially curable through the provision of cataract surgery and aphakic glasses.
authors.affiliation: Programme OMS de Prévention de la Cécité, Organisation mondiale de la Santé, Genève, Suisse.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Négrel
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Massembo-Yako
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Botaka
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Minassian
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coddy-Zitsamélé
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003223:Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D014787:Vision Tests
vernacular_title: Prévalence et causes de la cécité au Congo.