Visually Impaired Children in some sites of Ethiopia: Review on Prevalence, Causes and Problems
Abstract
This paper is a review of literature on the prevalence and causes of visual impairment as well as problems children with visual impairment are facing in Ethiopia. The purpose of the review was to examine the causes of child visual impairment and the problems visually impaired children are experiencing. Thirteen studies which were conducted in Ethiopia between the years 2000 and 2014 on visual impairment of children below the age of 16 were included in the review. The review indicated that while the frequently mentioned causes of complete blindness reported in the studies are cataract and corneal scarring, that of visual impairment (low vision and blindness) are trachoma and refractive error. With little difference, the synthesized data identified corneal scarring as the leading cause to blindness and trachoma to visual impairment (low vision and blindness). The review also indicated visually impaired children live with multifaceted social, psychological and educational problems. Finally, it is concluded that working on enhancement of the prevention practice of trachoma and corneal scarring and solving the problems of visually impaired children need critical attention.References
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