title: Cataract blindness in Osun state, Nigeria: results of a survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the burden of blindness and visual impairment due to cataract in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State, Nigeria.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty clusters of 60 individuals who were 50 years or older were selected by systematic random sampling from the entire community. A total of 1,183 persons were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of bilateral cataract-related blindness (visual acuity (VA) < 3/60) in people of 50 years and older was 2.0% (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.6-2.4%). The Cataract Surgical Coverage (CSC) (persons) was 12.1% and Couching Coverage (persons) was 11.8%. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of bilateral operable cataract (VA < 6/60) in people of 50 years and older was 2.7% (95% CI: 2.3-3.1%). In this last group, the cataract intervention (surgery + couching) coverage was 22.2%. The proportion of patients who could not attain 6/60 vision after surgery were 12.5, 87.5, and 92.9%, respectively, for patients who underwent intraocular lens (IOL) implantation, cataract surgery without IOL implantation and those who underwent couching. "Lack of awareness" (30.4%), "no need for surgery" (17.6%), cost (14.6%), fear (10.2%), "waiting for cataract to mature" (8.8%), AND "surgical services not available" (5.8%) were reasons why individuals with operable cataract did not undergo cataract surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over 600 operable cataracts exist in this region of Nigeria. There is an urgent need for an effective, affordable, and accessible cataract outreach program. Sustained efforts have to be made to increase the number of IOL surgeries, by making IOL surgery available locally at an affordable cost, if not completely free.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, College of Health Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Olubayo U
authors.initials: OU
authors.lastname: Kolawole
authors.forename: Adeyinka O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Ashaye
authors.forename: Abdulraheem O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Mahmoud
authors.forename: Caroline O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Adeoti
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014792:Visual Acuity; D019987:Persons with Visual Disabilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*