Blindness, Diabetic Retinopathy : Women Mostly Affected!

 This is one of the results of an investigation carried out in Yaounde by an international NGO, “Sightsavers and Partners.”

Statistics from an investigation on avoidable blindness and diabetic retinopathy carried out in Yaounde urban reveal that the prevalence of blindness in the sample population was 2.6 per cent (2.2 in males and 3 per cent in females) while the prevalence of diabetes (known diabetes and newly diagnosed diabetes) was 11.3 per cent. 10.1 per cent known diabetics were under no diabetic treatment or diet and 63 .5 per cent of known diabetics never had eye examination for diabetic retinopathy.  The report was presented in the presence of personnel from the Ministry of Public Health and other actors involved in eye care in the country.

Funded by the Lions Club International Foundation in collaboration with Sightsavers, Africa Eye Foundation and the Ministry of Public Health, the investigation was carried out in October and November 2016 to determine the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment, diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy amongst people who are 50 years of age or older, assess cataract surgical services and barriers to uptake cataract services. 

According to the principal investigator, Dr Joseph Enyegue Oye of Sightsavers Cameroon, cataract was the major cause of blindness (48.5 per cent), followed by glaucoma (25.3 per cent) and figures for other posterior segment diseases stood at 16.2 per cent.

Of all blindness Dr Enyegue revealed that 82.8 per cent was avoidable, 49 .5 per cent treated, 3 per cent of the cases could have been prevented by PHC/PEC and 30.3 per cent by ophthalmic services. Data also indicated that 54. 7 per cent...