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School Eye Screening and The National Program For Control of Blindness - 2
School Eye Screening and The National Program For Control of Blindness - 2
Control of Blindness
R JOSE AND SANDEEP SACHDEVA
From the Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi.
Childhood blindness and visual impairment are as important and perhaps more
devastating and disabling than adult onset blindness, because of the long span of life still
remaining to be lived. Refractive errors and more particularly myopia, place a substantial
burden on the individual and society. School-age children constitute a particularly
vulnerable group where uncorrected refractive errors may have a dramatic impact on
learning capability and educational potential. This article provides an overview of school
eye screening from the perspective of National Program for Control of Blindness
(NPCB), Government of India; and challenges, future directions and thrust area
envisaged under the program for amelioration of childhood blindness.
Refractive errors are the second major separate subspecialty, is not yet well
cause of blindness in India after cataract established, and services targeting
and the most common reason for children are not often offered separately
patients to consult ophthalmologist or by ophthalmologists. Training to
ophthalmic assistant. Over a quarter of address ocular problems relating to
the outpatient attendance at all eye children is not always a part of every
clinics and hospitals is due to refractive residency program and very few
errors(1). The availability and access of institutions offer post-residency training
infrastructure, services, trained programs in pediatric ophthalmology(2-
manpower, cost of spectacles, and 5).
community awareness is an area of
concern. Pediatric ophthalmology, as a
Children form one of the main age have a correctable refractive error
groups requiring attention to refractive causing visual impairment (refractive
errors because of the high prevalence of bilateral visual acuity of <6/ 18). Though
myopia, hypermetropia and no population based nation wide survey
astigmatism. The ultimate molding of a has been undertaken on the prevalence
person’s personality and potentiality of blindness in India, is estimated to be
rests with his nature, surroundings and 0.8/1000 children in the age group of 0-
quality of eye sight. The school going 15 years. Currently, there are an
years are formative for children in estimated 270,000 blind children in
determining their physical, intellectual India(7,8). Most of the available studies
and behavioral development. Poor demonstrate that corneal and lenticular
vision in childhood affects performance conditions are the predominant causes of
in school and has a negative influence on blindness whereas amongst children
the development and maturity. Further, outside blind schools, refractive errors
most school children do not realize that are important causes of visual
they are suffering from the ocular impairment and blindness. Myopia is a
disability as they adjust to poor eye sight common cause of visual impairment
in different ways. They compensate for which is usually acquired and nearly
their poor vision by sitting closer to the always progressive. It rarely occurs
blackboard, or by holding their books before the age of 5 years and new cases
close to their eyes. They may also appear throughout childhood and
squeeze their eyes. They may also tend adolescence, particularly between the
not to undertake any work that needs ages of 6 to 15 years.
visual concentration, thus affecting their
performance(6). EYE CARE SERVICES IN INDIA