• español
    • English
    • português
  • English 
    • español
    • English
    • português
  • IRIS PAHO Home
  • PAHO website
  • Indexes
  • All Collections
  • About IRIS
  • Institutional Memory
  • Contact
JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
View Item 
  •   IRIS PAHO Home
  • 1.PAHO Headquarters / Sede de la OPS
  • Scientific Journals and Newsletters / Revistas Científicas y Boletines
  • Pan American Journal of Public Health
  • View Item
  •   IRIS PAHO Home
  • 1.PAHO Headquarters / Sede de la OPS
  • Scientific Journals and Newsletters / Revistas Científicas y Boletines
  • Pan American Journal of Public Health
  • View Item

A comparative assessment of avoidable blindness and visual impairment in seven Latin American countries: prevalence, coverage, and inequality

Thumbnail
View/Open
a03v37n1.pdf (286.0Kb)
Date
2015
Author
Silva, Juan Carlos
Mújica, Oscar J.
Vega, Enrique
Barcelo, Alberto
Lansingh, Van C.
McLeod, Joan
Limburg, Hans
Metadata
Show full item record
Abstract
Objective. To conduct a comparative analysis of social inequalities in eye health and eye health care and generate baseline evidence for seven Latin American countries as a benchmarking exercise for monitoring progress toward three goals of the regional Plan of Action for the Prevention of Blindness and Visual Impairment: increasing eye health service coverage, minimizing barriers, and reducing eye health-related disease burden. Methods. Results from cross-sectional eye health surveys conducted in six Latin American countries (Argentina, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Peru, and Uruguay) from 2011 to 2013 and recently published national surveys in Paraguay were analyzed. The magnitude of absolute and relative inequalities between countries in five dimensions of eye health across the population gradient defined by three equity stratifiers (educational attainment, literacy, and wealth) were explored using standard exploratory data analysis techniques. Results. Overall prevalence of blindness in people 50 years old and older varied from 0.7% (95% CI: 0.4-1.0) in Argentina to 3.0% (95% CI: 2.3-3.6) in Panama. Overall prevalence of visual impairment (severe plus moderate) varied from 8.0% (95% CI: 6.5-11.0) in Uruguay to 14.3% (95% CI: 13.9-14.7) in El Salvador. The main reported cause of blindness was unoperated cataract and most cases of visual impairment were caused by uncorrected refractive error. Three countries had cataract surgical coverage of more than 90% for blind persons, and two-thirds of cataract-operated patients had good visual acuity. Conclusions. Blindness and moderate visual impairment prevalence were concentrated among the most socially disadvantaged, and cataract surgical coverage and cataract surgery optimal outcome were concentrated among the wealthiest. There is a need for policy action to increase services coverage and quality to achieve universality.(AU)
 
Objetivo. Realizar un análisis comparativo de las desigualdades sociales en materia de salud ocular y atención oftálmica, y generar datos probatorios de referencia de siete países latinoamericanos como un ejercicio de evaluación comparativa para vigilar el progreso hacia tres metas del Plan de Acción para la Prevención de la Ceguera y la Deficiencia Visual Evitables: el aumento de la cobertura de los servicios de salud ocular, la reducción al mínimo de las barreras y la disminución de la carga de morbilidad relacionada con la salud ocular. Métodos. Se analizaron los resultados de las encuestas transversales de salud ocular realizadas en seis países latinoamericanos (Argentina, El Salvador, Honduras, Panamá, Perú y Uruguay) desde el 2011 al 2013, y las encuestas nacionales del Paraguay recientemente publicadas. Mediante el empleo de técnicas ordinarias de análisis exploratorio de datos, se investigó la magnitud de las desigualdades absolutas y relativas entre países en cinco dimensiones de la salud ocular a través del gradiente poblacional definido por tres variables de estratificación de equidad (logro educativo, alfabetización y riqueza). Resultados. La prevalencia general de la ceguera en personas de 50 años de edad o mayores varió de 0,7% (intervalo de confianza (IC) de 95%: 0,4-1,0) en Argentina a 3,0% (IC95%: 2,3-3,6) en Panamá. La prevalencia general de la deficiencia visual (grave y moderada) varió de 8,0% (IC95%: 6,5-11,0) en Uruguay a 14,3% (IC95%: 13,9-14,7) en El Salvador. La principal causa notificada de ceguera fue la catarata no operada, mientras que la mayor parte de los casos de deficiencia visual fueron causados por un error de refracción no corregido. Tres países tenían una cobertura quirúrgica de la catarata de más de 90% para las personas ciegas, mientras que dos terceras partes de los pacientes operados de cataratas mostraban una buena agudeza visual. Conclusiones. Las prevalencias de la ceguera y la deficiencia visual moderada se concentraban en las personas más desfavorecidas socialmente, mientras que la cobertura quirúrgica de la catarata así como los resultados óptimos de esta intervención se concentraban en los más adinerados. Son necesarias acciones políticas para aumentar la cobertura y la calidad de los servicios con objeto de alcanzar la universalidad.(AU)
 
Series
Rev Panam Salud Publica;37(1),ene. 2015
Subject
Eye Health; Blindness; Health Inequalities; Visually Impaired Persons; Prevalence; Argentina; El Salvador; Honduras; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Uruguay; Latin America; Salud ocular; Ceguera; Desigualdades en la Salud; Personas con Daño Visual; Prevalencia; Argentina; El Salvador; Honduras; Panamá; Paraguay; Peru; Uruguay; América Latina; Osteopecilose; Articulação do Ombro; Diagnóstico Diferencial; Osteosclerose
URI
http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49892015000100003
https://iris.paho.org/handle/10665.2/9425
Citation
Silva, Juan Carlos,Mújica, Oscar J.,Vega, Enrique,Barcelo, Alberto,Lansingh, Van C.,McLeod, Joan,Limburg, Hans (2015) A comparative assessment of avoidable blindness and visual impairment in seven Latin American countries: prevalence, coverage, and inequality. Rev Panam Salud Publica;37(1) 13-20,jan. 2015. Retrieved from http://www.scielosp.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1020-49892015000100003
Collections
  • Pan American Journal of Public Health

Related items

Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

  • Thumbnail

    Prevalence of refractive error and spectacle coverage in schoolchildren in two urban areas of Chile 

    Barria, Fernando; Conte, Francisco; Muñoz, Sergio; Leasher, Janet L.; Silva, Juan Carlos (2018-05)
    [ABSTRACT]. Objective. To assess the impact of efforts to reduce visual impairment by detecting and treating refractive errors (REs) among schoolchildren in two urban areas of Chile. Methods. In 2013, in the communities ...
  • Thumbnail

    Functional low vision in adults from Latin America: findings from population-based surveys in 15 countries 

    Limburg, Hans; Espinoza, Rosario; Lansingh, Van C.; Silva, Juan Carlos (2015-06)
    Objetivo. Analizar los datos de las encuestas poblacionales publicadas provenientes de 15 países de América Latina y el Caribe sobre baja visión funcional (BVF) (baja visión, desde una agudeza visual [AV] inferior a 6/18 ...
  • Thumbnail

    Stability and change in public health studies in Colombia and Mexico: an exploratory approach based on co-word analysis 

    Vílchez-Román, Carlos; Quiliano-Terreros, Rocío (2018-04)
    [ABSTRACT]. Objective. To determine the level of stability or change in topic areas published by public health journals in Latin America and the Caribbean, using keywords and co-word analysis, in order to support evidence-based ...

Browse

All of IRIS PAHOCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsSeries TitleType of materialLanguageCategoryTechnical Unit/Country OfficeThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsSeries TitleType of materialLanguageCategoryTechnical Unit/Country Office

Statistics

View Usage Statistics

Pan American Health Organization
World Health Organization. Regional Office for the Americas
525 Twenty-third Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037, United States of America
Tel.: +1 (202) 974-3000 Fax: +1 (202) 974-3663
email: libraryhq@paho.org

Links

  • PAHO Featured Publications
  • WHO Digital Library (IRIS)
  • Virtual Health Library (VHL)
  • Global Index Medicus (GIM)