rapid assessment of avoidable blindness in western rwanda blindness in a postconflict setting快速评估西部可避免盲症卢旺达失明的冲突后设置.pdfVIP

PLoS MEDICINE Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness in Western Rwanda: Blindness in a Postconflict Setting 1,2 3 2 2* Wanjiku Mathenge , John Nkurikiye , Hans Limburg , Hannah Kuper 1 Rift Valley Provincial Hospital, Nakuru, Kenya, 2 London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom, 3 King Faisal Hospital, Kigali, Rwanda Funding: This study was supported A B S T R A C T by funding from the Fred Hollows Foundation. The sponsor played no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of data, Background writing of the paper or the decision to submit it for publication. The World Health Organization estimates that there were 37 million blind people in 2002 and that the prevalence of blindness was 9% among adults in Africa aged 50 years or older. Recent Competing Interests: The authors surveys indicate that this figure may be overestimated, while a survey from southern Sudan have declared that no competing interests exist. suggested that postconflict areas are particularly vulnerable to blindness. The aim of this study was to conduct a Rapid Assessment for Avoidable Blindness to estimate the magnitude and Academic Editor: Rupert Bourne, Hinchingbrooke Hospital, United causes of visual impairment in people aged 50 y in the postconflict area of the Western Kingdom Province of Rwanda, which includes one-quarter of the population of Rwanda. Citation: Mathenge W, Nkurikiye J, Limburg H, Kuper H (2007) Rapid Methods and Findings assessment of avoidable blindn