title: A survey of visual impairment and blindness in children attending seven schools for the blind in Myanmar.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the causes of visual impairment and blindness amongst children in schools for the blind in Myanmar; to identify the avoidable causes of visual impairment and blindness; and to provide spectacles, low vision aids, orientation and mobility training and ophthalmic treatment where indicated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred and eight children under 16 years of age from all 7 schools for the blind in Myanmar were examined and the data entered into the World Health Organization Prevention of Blindness Examination Record for Childhood Blindness (WHO/PBL ERCB).
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred and ninety nine children (95.7%) were blind (BL = Visual Acuity [VA] < 3/60 in the better eye) and 3 had severe visual impairment (SVI = VA < 6/60 to 3/60 in the better eye). Most children had corneal abnormalities as the major anatomical site of SVI/BL (100, 49.5%), however the cause of SVI/BL was unknown in the majority (88, 43.6%). Measles keratitis was the commonest identifiable cause (17.4%) and 88 children had avoidable causes of SVI/BL (43.6%). Nearly 16% of children required an optical device and 24.2% required medical attention, with a potential for visual improvement through intervention in 15.8%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nearly half of the children in schools for the blind in Myanmar had potentially avoidable causes of SVI/BL. With measles being both the commonest identifiable and commonest avoidable cause, the data supports the need for a measles immunization campaign. There is also a need for a dedicated pediatric eye care center with regular ophthalmology visits to the schools, and improved optometric, low vision and orientation and mobility services in Myanmar.
authors.affiliation: South Australian Institute of Ophthalmology, Adelaide, Australia. jsmuecke@bigpond.com
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Muecke
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hammerton
authors.forename: Yee Yee
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Aung
authors.forename: Sunil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Warrier
authors.forename: Aimee
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yapp
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Selva
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D004519:Education, Special / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005139:Eyeglasses; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D002052:Myanmar / Q000453:epidemiology; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012682:Sensory Aids; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D014792:Visual Acuity; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*