Social economic development in the prevention of global blindness.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relation between a country's economic developmental status and its prevalence of blindness.


METHODS
Available epidemiological data on worldwide visual loss and its causes compiled by the World Health Organization were reviewed. Findings were compared with economic development data from the involved countries and regions. Analysis was completed in view of the socioeconomic status of each country and region.


RESULTS
Analysis of the global distribution of blindness indicates a trend of higher prevalence existing in developing countries with lower per capita income. Preventable causes of blindness (that is, cataract, trachoma) are also more prevalent in these countries.


CONCLUSIONS
Because economic development is shown to be a factor in blindness, programmes for blindness prevention should not be the only route to the elimination of unnecessary blindness throughout the world. Concomitant economic development is also necessary to reduce and eventually eradicate much of the preventable and avoidable causes of blindness.
Ho
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VH
Tufts University, School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.
Schwab
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D001766:Blindness / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D019049:Developed Countries; D003906:Developing Countries; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014944:World Health Organization