PURPOSE To estimate population-based incidence rates of registered blindness separately, to determine its main causes. METHODS The files of all newly registered blindness-allowance recipients in Württemberg-Hohenzollern, Germany (population: approximately 5 million), between 1994 and 1998 were reviewed. From ophthalmological reports on file the fulfillment of the German criteria for blindness...

introduction: in 1995, the world health organization (who) estimated that there were 37.1 million blind people worldwide. it has subsequently been reported that 110 million people have severely impaired vision, hence are at great risk of becoming blind. watkins predicted an annual increase of about two million blind worldwide. this study was designed to investigate the causes of blindness and l...

Diseases affecting the cornea are a major cause of blindness worldwide, second only to cataract in overall importance. The epidemiology of corneal blindness is complicated and encompasses a wide variety of infectious and inflammatory eye diseses that cause corneal scarring, which ultimately leads to functional blindness. In addition, the prevalence of corneal disease varies from country to coun...

AIMS Women suffer disproportionately more from cataract blindness compared to males in low- and middle-income countries. Two large population-based surveys have been undertaken in India at an interval of 7 years and data from these surveys provided an opportunity to assess the trends in gender differentials in cataract blindness. MATERIALS AND METHODS Data were extracted from the surveys to d...