Statistics on Blindness and Visual Impairment

We're getting a few questions lately as to what is the current statistics on blindness and visual impairment in the Philippines and so we needed to recheck our data.  Below is what we found for both global and national with its respective links:

The 3^rd National Survey on Blindness in the Philippines of 2004 says prevalence of visual impairment among children (0 to 20 years old) is 0.43.  


(the dilemma in this survey is that children age range is up to 20 years old.  For PhilHealth, a dependent child is below 21, in the convention of the rights of the child - a child means every human being below the age of 18 years (http://www2.ohchr.org/english/law/crc.htm), quoting "Child and Youth Welfare Code": "It shall apply to persons below 21 years of age" P.D. #603, in Philippine Law, "Child" refers to a person under the age of eighteen (18) years - (http://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2006/ra_9344_2006.html) ) 


Isn't it even more confusing now? Let us wait for the result of the 4th National Survey on Blindness maybe then there will be an agreed definition as to what is the age range of a Filipino child.   

Worldwide, a person goes blind every 5 seconds and a child goes blind every minute, and the children most at risk are those 5 years old and below. 

An estimated 1.4 million children are blind worldwide and millions more are visually impaired.

In developing countries, like the Philippines, 60% of children will die within one year of becoming blind and the remainder will, on average, spend 40 years without sight. 

90% of blind children receive no schooling and the majority will not grow up to achieve their full potential. 

http://hubmob-rmc.hubpages.com/hub/Blindness-Visual-Impairment-and-Eye-Health

Prevalence of childhood blindness is almost 1% of the world population.  

Costs for childhood blindness are estimated between $6 billion and $27 billion. 

About 70% of childhood blindness is thought to be preventable. 

In developing countries, 60%-80% of blind children die within 1-2 years. 

Vision problems affect 1 in 20 preschoolers and 1 in 4 school-age children.

http://www.uniteforsight.org/eye_stats.php

The global prevalence of childhood blindness is thought to be around 0.07%, or approximately one tenth of the prevalence of blindness in adults (Rahi et al. Measuring the burden of childhood blindness. Br J Ophthalmol. 1999 Apr;83(4):387-8)

In developing countries, it is believed that 60-80% of children who become blind die within 1-2 years (Lewallen, S and Courtright, P.Blindness in Africa: present situation and future needs. Br J Ophthalmol. 2001 Aug;85(8):897-903)

the prevalence of bilateral blindness in developing countries in Asia ranges from 0.3% of 4.4% (Saw et al. Causes of blindness and low vision in rural Indonesia. Br J Ophthalmol. 2003 Sep;87(9):1075-8)

http://blind.org.ph/blind_phil.html

Perhaps up to one hundred children lose their sight every week in the Philippines. 

http://www.aao.org/eyecare/news/upload/Eye-Health-Fact-Sheet.pdf

Facts About Blindness and Eye Health

Worldwide

• Somewhere in the world, someone goes blind every five seconds.

• A child goes blind every minute.

• Eighty percent of all blindness is preventable or curable.

• It is estimated that at least 7 million people go blind every year.

• Worldwide some 180 million people are blind or visually disabled—the equivalent of two-thirds of the entire U.S. population.

• Rates of blindness will double by the year 2020 unless prevention efforts are intensified.

• People in developing countries represent 90 percent of the world’s blind population and are 10 times more likely to go blind than those in developed countries.

• Africa averages just one ophthalmologist for every 1.25 million people