Barriers to utilisation of eye care services in Kibera slums of Nairobi.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the main barriers to utilisation of eye care services among the slum population of Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya.


METHODS
Community based survey.


METHODS
Kibera slums, Nairobi City, Kenya.


METHODS
Randomly selected 1,438 Kibera slum dwellers aged over two years.


RESULTS
Majority of subjects (83.3%) do not utilise the nearby well-established eye clinics. Twenty one percent of those with poor vision do not seek treatment at all. The main barriers to seeking eye care services were lack of money, ignorance and the problem not causing much discomfort to warrant medical attention. There was significant, association between the level of education and health seeking behaviour (P = 0.008).


CONCLUSIONS
Majority of Kibera slum dwellers have no access to eye care.


CONCLUSIONS
There is need to establish a comprehensive primary eye care project to provide low cost but quality services affordable to Kibera slum dwellers.
Ndegwa
L K
LK
Department of Ophthalmology, Kenya Medical Training College, P.O Box 2377-00200, Nairobi, Kenya.
Karimurio
J
J
Okelo
R O
RO
Adala
H S
HS
D000367:Age Factors; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D009885:Ophthalmology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000208:ethnology; D011204:Poverty Areas; D011336:Probability; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*