Childhood blindness and Visual Impairment in a Local Government Area in North-Central Nigeria: A Key Informant Survey https://doi.org/10.60787/NMJ-63-1-89

Abstract

Background: To use the Key Informant Survey to estimate the magnitude and to identify the significant causes of blindness and severe visual impairment in children of Nassarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Methodology: Twenty-eight trained Key informants traced and referred children believed to be blind or visually impaired. Biodata record, history, and eye examination were based on the operational definitions in the WHO/PBL coding instruction manual for childhood blindness. Data were entered and analyzed in the WHO/PBL Childhood Blindness Software (CBS) V 1.2.75 by an ophthalmologist and a statistician.

Result: The Key Informants identified 51 children of which 50 (98%) were examined. Eight (16%) of the children examined were blind, another eight (16%), had severe visual impairment, 16 (32%) were visually impaired, 7 (14%) had monocular blindness and 11 (22%) were normal. The estimated crude prevalence of childhood blindness was 0.01% and of moderate-severe visual impairment was 0.03%. The major causes of blindness and of severe visual impairment were cataracts, corneal opacity, and refractive errors. Ninety-four percent of the causes of blindness and moderate-severe visual impairment in children were avoidable. It was estimated that some 415 children in Nasarawa State are blind or have moderate to severe visual impairment.

Conclusion: The estimated magnitude of blindness and visual impairment in Nassarawa Eggon LGA is 8 and 24 respectively with a crude blindness prevalence of 0.01% (1 in 10,000). Cataract was the most commonest cause of blindness and severe visual impairment in Nassarawa Eggon Local government area with 93.8% of the causes of blindness and visual impairment being avoidable.