Abstract:
Background: Visual impairment and blindness in childhood represents significant public
health challenges.Prevalence and causes of childhood blindness vary between countries and
over time, and influenced by socioeconomic and cultural factors and the availability of
primary health care and eye care services. However there is limited evidence on the
magnitude and causes of visual impairment and blindness in our setup.
Objectives: To assess the causes of visual impairment and blindness in children visiting
Jimma University Medical Center, Ophthalmology Department, Southwest of Ethiopia.
Method: Hospital based retrospective study was conducted. A 3 years’ retrospective chart
review was done for the visits from September 1st 2021 to August 31st 2024.All children who
visited during the specified study period were included. A pretested, structured questionnaire
was utilized for data collection. The data were coded and entered into Epidata 3.1, and
subsequently exported to SPSS version 27 for statistical analysis. Descriptive analysis was
performed, with results presented in tables and graphs.
Result: A total of 2,129 children visited the JUMC, Department of Ophthalmology, POSC
over three years .Of these, 254 children (11.9%) presented with a visual acuity of less than
6/12 in one or both eyes. Out of the total 2,129 children, 143 (6.7%) and 60 (2.8%) had VI
and blindness respectively. Most children had onset of the vision loss between 1 to 15 years
(76.9%).The most common anatomical sites associated with vision impairment and blindness
were the normal globe (n=60, 41.9%) and the lens (n=46, 32.2%). Regarding specific
conditions, refractive error (37.7%) and cataract (31.5%) were the most common. The major
etiologies were predominantly linked to childhood factors (53.1%).The majority of the cases
(86.7%) were considered to be potentially avoidable. Trauma (46.9%) was identified as the
most common cause of uniocular vision loss in children less than 16 years of age.
Conclusion: This study revealed a high prevalence of childhood visual impairment and
blindness .The most common anatomic site was normal globe and the lens. Refractive errors
and cataracts were the most common causes. Majority of the cases had potentially avoidable
causes. Trauma was the most common cause of unilateral vision loss.
