Prevalence and causes of vision loss in Central and South Asia: 1990-2010.
BACKGROUND
To examine the prevalence, patterns and trends of vision impairment and its causes from 1990 to 2010 in Central and South Asia.


METHODS
Based on the Global Burden of Diseases Study 2010 and ongoing literature searches, we examined prevalence and causes of moderate and severe vision impairment (MSVI; presenting visual acuity <6/18, ≥3/60) and blindness (presenting visual acuity <3/60).


RESULTS
In Central Asia, the estimated age-standardised prevalence of blindness decreased from 0.4% (95% CI 0.3% to 0.6%) to 0.2% (95% CI 0.2% to 0.3%) and of MSVI from 3.0% (95% CI 1.9% to 4.7%) to 1.9% (95% CI 1.2% to 3.2%), and in South Asia blindness decreased from 1.7% (95% CI 1.4% to 2.1%) to 1.1% (95% CI 0.9% to 1.3%) and MSVI from 8.9% (95% CI 6.9% to 10.9%) to 6.4% (95% CI 5.2% to 8.2%). In 2010, 135 000 (95% CI 99,000 to 194,000) people were blind in Central Asia and 10,600,000 (95% CI 8,397,000 to 12,500,000) people in South Asia. MSVI was present in 1,178,000 (95% CI 772,000 to 2,243,000) people in the Central Asia, and in 71,600,000 (95% CI 57,600,000 to 92,600,000) people in South Asia. Women were generally more often affected than men. The leading causes of blindness (cataract) and MSVI (undercorrected refractive error) did not change from 1990 to 2010.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of blindness and MSVI in South Asia is still three times higher than in Central Asia and globally, with women generally more often affected than women. In both regions, cataract and undercorrected refractive error were major causes of blindness and MSVI.
Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, , Mannheim, Germany.
Jost B
JB
Jonas
Ronnie
R
George
Rashima
R
Asokan
Seth R
SR
Flaxman
Jill
J
Keeffe
Janet
J
Leasher
Kovin
K
Naidoo
Konrad
K
Pesudovs
Holly
H
Price
Lingam
L
Vijaya
Richard A
RA
White
Tien Y
TY
Wong
Serge
S
Resnikoff
Hugh R
HR
Taylor
Rupert R A
RR
Bourne
D001209:Asia, Central / Q000453:epidemiology; D001210:Asia, Southeastern / Q000453:epidemiology; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001766:Blindness / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence
Epidemiology; Glaucoma; Macula