Cataract free zone and primary health care approach to prevention of blindness in Shunyi county of Beijing.
OBJECTIVE
To establish a three-level eye care network, together with a referral and monitor system for the prevention of blindness, with the aim of creating a cataract free zone.


METHODS
Shunyi County with a population of 548364 was chosen as the target site. Our activities included (1) establishment of a County Guiding Committee for the prevention of blindness: (2) training local ophthalmologists and primary eye care personnel: (3) extensive publicity of knowledge for the prevention of blindness: (4) screening for blindness and low vision, (5) cataract surgery as the chief measure for creating a cataract free zone.


RESULTS
A referral and monitor system for cataract blindness was established in 1987. Seven local ophthalmologists, 449 primary eye care health workers and six optometrists were trained. 815 cataract-blind patients were identified. Up to December 1991, 667 patients (737 eyes), accounting for 81.84% of the total, were treated with cataract surgery, 90.64% of these eyes had their sight restored, and 59.66% patients resumed work. A cataract free zone has been created in Shunyi County.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevention of blindness with cataract surgery as the chief measure can dramatically decrease the prevalence of blindness in a relatively short period of time.
Hu
C
C
Eye Research Center, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing.
Zhao
J
J
Pizzarello
L D
LD
Jiang
L
L
Liu
Q
Q
Ma
J
J
Zhang
Q
Q
D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012423:Rural Health; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000517:prevention & control*