190334 Prevention of avoidable blindness among Thai children through a community-health and health promotion intervention

Monday, October 27, 2008

Wuthikrai Boonvarute, OD , Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Zobeida Bonilla, PhD, MPH , Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
Blindness and visual impairment are global problems that are more pronounced in developing countries. In 2006 the WHO reported that 153 million people had uncorrected refractive error excluding presbyopia. Thirteen million children and 45 million working-age adults were affected with refractive errors, with 90% living in low or middle income countries.

In 1994 Thailand successfully reduced blindness rates from 1.14% to 0.31%. However, the National Statistics Office and Census estimated that 2.3 million of school-age children would be affected with refractive errors. Preliminary data from a study conducted by the first author in 2006 in 431 primary schools in Thailand found 22% students with refractive error, a rate higher than that reported by the Ministry of Public Health of 10.4% and 10.8% for Bangkok and Up-country respectively.

This presentation will discuss a program to address the issues identified through preliminary data by employing community-health strategies; screening and spectacles dispensing services through a mobile unit; and training for non-eye care personnel on the prevention of avoidable blindness, to:

(1) promote the early detection of refractive error and prevent visual disorders among school-age children;

(2) screen and correct refractive error in the target population, and

(3) encourage community health partnerships to prevent avoidable blindness among Thai children.

Learning Objectives:
(1) Understand the nature, magnitude, and public health implications of refractive error affecting school-age children both in Thailand and other developing countries. (2) Describe the components of a community-health education and health promotion program that employs clinical and public health approaches to address avoidable blindness.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the principal investigator on this project. I have conducted the preliminary research in Thailand on visual needs in school-age children. I started this project in 2006. I plan to continue this work as an on-going work for the children in Thailand.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: PHEHP Student Award Winners
See more of: Public Health Education and Health Promotion