BACKGROUND Currently, about 2 per 1000 children in the industrialised world are severely visually impaired or blind (SVI/BL) due to diverse uncommon conditions that are usually present from early infancy. The impact of SVI/BL is lifelong and life-changing. Thus, children are a priority in the WHO-led global initiative against avoidable blindness. The aim of this scoping review is to assess the ...

In 1994, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that there were at that time 45 million blind and that the number would double by the year 2020. However, at least 75% of the blindness was unnecessary, being preventable or treatable. They estimated that the number of blind could be reduced to 25 million by 2020 by applying what we currently knew. At that time, some 60% of blindness was du...

The new standardized form for recording the causes of visual loss in children is accompanied by coding instructions and by a database for statistical analysis. The aim is to record the causes of childhood visual loss, with an emphasis on preventable and treatable causes, so that appropriate control measures can be planned. With this standardized methodology, it will be possible to monitor the c...

The encouraging scenario of international efforts to eliminate preventable and avoidable blindness is the legacy of public health ophthalmology in the 20th century. With active programs currently in place or beginning for the major cause of blindness in childhood and two of the leading infectious causes of blindness, it is natural that research in eye disease will shift even more heavily toward...

BACKGROUND Low vision and blindness are recognized as one of the major public health problems worldwide, especially in developing countries. The prevalence and cause of blindness and low vision vary from region to region, among different age and population groups in a country or geographical region. The objective of this study is thus to determine the causes of blindness and ocular morbidity am...

We completed a national study of blindness in children under 16. Approximately 80% of the blind children (that is, with vision of 3/60 or less) in the Republic of Ireland (172 children) were seen, 93 males and 79 females. The survey was carried out between July 1989 and June 1990. It is the first such study to be carried out. Ninety seven (56%) children had lesions due to factors acting before ...