The Global Face of Childhood Blindness: Proportions, Causes, and Patterns in a Changing World
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Abstract
Background: Childhood visual impairment and blindness continue to be ongoing challenges in worldwide eye care, especially in low-resource environments. In spite of profound advances in pediatric ophthalmology, the epidemiologic knowledge of prevalence patterns, etiology, and access disparities is still too low. Aim and Objective: It is the objective of this study to provide an answer to the following question: "How do global proportions, etiology, and risk factors for childhood blindness and visual impairment represent prevailing healthcare inequalities, and how can this evidence inform targeted prevention efforts?" Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis were performed based on 11 included studies from Nepal, China, Sudan, Rwanda, Morocco, Ethiopia, Ghana, Israel, Indonesia, Iran, and the UK. Quantitative estimates of VI or childhood blindness were included in studies with inferential or descriptive analyses of contributing factors. Data extraction included prevalence, causes, and risk correlations. Meta-analysis was performed on parameters in common using effect sizes in proportions. Results: Prevalence of child blindness/VI varied from 0.07% (Nepal, 2014) to 39.7% (Morocco, 2025). Preventable causes of refractive error, cataract, trauma, and glaucoma accounted for the leading cause in 77–87% of cases. Disability adjusted life years (DALY) burden was highest among adolescents (92.7 per 100,000). Logistic regression of Morocco indicated that family history was a critical risk factor (OR = 1.795, CI: 1.17–2.75). Meta-analysis demonstrated prevalence proportions of 0.07% to 39.7% with considerable heterogeneity between LMICs and HICs. Conclusion: Childhood VI is income, geographic, and etiological diverse. Preventable causes are predominant in low-income groups, while genetic and neuro-development disorders are more common in high-income economies. Implications point towards the necessity of early screening, equal access to eye care, and policy-driven genetic and educational interventions.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Abhishek Babu, Anitha L, Thirumagal Vaishnavi, Anu Rose Paul, Jamila Hameed
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons License All articles published in Annals of Medicine and Medical Sciences are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Abhishek Babu, Faculty, Department of Ophthalmology, Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi, Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala, 678103, India.
Faculty, Department of Ophthalmology, Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi, Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala, 678103, India.
Anitha L, Faculty, Department of Ophthalmology, Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi, Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala, 678103, India.
Faculty, Department of Ophthalmology, Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi, Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala, 678103, India.
Thirumagal Vaishnavi, Faculty, Department of Ophthalmology, Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi, Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala, 678103, India.
Faculty, Department of Ophthalmology, Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi, Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala, 678103, India.
Anu Rose Paul, Faculty, Department of Ophthalmology, Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi, Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala, 678103, India.
Faculty, Department of Ophthalmology, Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi, Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala, 678103, India.
Jamila Hameed, Faculty, Department of Ophthalmology, Karuna Medical College, Vilayodi, Chittur, Palakkad, Kerala, 678103, India.
Research Mentor, Emiratus Ptrofessor, Karuna Medical College, Kerala University of Health Sciences, Kerala, India.
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