title: Blindness and visual impairment in a region endemic for onchocerciasis in the Central African Republic.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A population based survey of blindness and visual impairment was conducted in the district of Bossangoa, Central African Republic.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 48 communities were randomly selected, and 6086 people examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of blindness (visual acuity in the better eye less than 3/60) was 2.2%, and visual impairment 3.0% (6/24 to 3/60 in the better eye). The major causes of blindness were onchocerciasis (73.1%), cataract (16.4%), trachoma (4.5%), and glaucoma (2.2%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Around 95.5% of all blindness could potentially have been prevented or treated. Ivermectin mass distribution is hoped to prevent 50% of all forms of visual loss in the future.
authors.affiliation: University Eye Clinic LMU, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huss
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hopkins
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dadjim
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Madjitoloum
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hénault
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Klauss
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications; D002488:Central African Republic / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D014141:Trachoma / Q000150:complications; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology