WHITE SENILE CATARACTS: INTERMEDIATE ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT OF VISION 2020-THE RIGHT TO SIGHT PROGRAM IN RURAL NORTHERN INDIA

Abstract

Worldwide cataract is the leading cause of avoidable blindness. In India according to a survey, blindness due to cataract accounts for over 2 seventy percent of avoidable blindness. The goal of vision 2020 1 program is elimination of avoidable blindness. Since cataract is major cause of avoidable blindness in developing countries like India, the key to success of vision 2020 initiative lies in addressing cataract 3 blindness. India is the signatory of vision 2020 program, initiated by World Health Organization (WHO) in 1999. The latest reports assessing impact of the program in India indicate increase in number of 4 cataract surgery rate. The cataract surgery rate (CSR) is the number of cataract surgeries per million populations per year. CSR is an important quantitative measure of cataract surgical service delivery within dened population. However, CSR only partly measure the impact of a program designed to eliminate the avoidable blindness. Another indicator, which measures proportion of persons receiving cataract surgery of the eligible visually impaired individuals, is cataract surgical coverage (CSC). CSC serves as an indicator to measure the extent to which services have covered the need of the 5 population. Most of the published literatures assessing impact of vision 2020 program have focused on CSR, and only few have dealt 6, 7 with CSC. Senile cataracts turning white are consequence of normal maturity process of crystalline lens, and often considered as resultant of delayed cataract surgery. Their prevalence in community is an indirect indicator of impact of program targeting blindness due to cataract. The study was aimed to determine hospital based incidence of white senile cataracts and to nd causes for delay in uptake of cataract surgery