Of the approximately 40 million blind and 124 million visually impaired people in the world, 80 percent of each group live in developing countries. Of these, approximately 64 percent are women. Thus, women bear the greater burden of blindness and visual impairment, and they are especially numerous in developing nations.
Why are there more women blind and visually impaired in developing countries?
The reasons for prevalence of blindness in developing countries are different than those from industrialized nations. First of all, in developing countries, women bear the greater burden of blindness across most age groups. Thus, aging is not the major issue it is in industrialized countries.
In developing countries, the major cause of blindness is cataract, which can be cured by surgery. Although women bear the greater burden of cataract, they are less likely to receive surgery to cure the problem.
Another major cause of blindness in developing countries is trachoma. Seventy-five percent of people with late-stage, blinding trachoma are women. The reason for this disparity is that women and girls are the primary care givers of young children from whom they acquire active trachoma.
In developing countries, women have far from equal access to the medical care that would be required to prevent blindness. Women do not control the money in their families, and they are often last-in-line for medical care, following their husbands and then their children.
Are there regional differences in the prevalence of blindness in developing countries?
Yes, Africa has an especially greater prevalence of blindness and visual impairment in its population. The western pacific region also has a high prevalence rate. In actual numbers of people blind and visually impaired, Southeast Asia has, because of its large population, 27 percent of global visual impairment, and the western pacific region has 26 percent. Africa has 17 percent, and the Middle East, Europe and the Americas each have 10 percent.
References
Abou-Gareeb I, Lewallen S, Bassett K, Courtright P. Gender and blindness: a meta-analysis of population-based prevalence surveys. Ophthal Epidemiol. 8:39-56, 2001
Lewallen, S, Courtright P. Gender and use of cataract surgical services in developing countries. Bulletin WHO, 2002 80:300-301
Courtright P. Gender and Blindness. World Health Organization, Dept. of Gender and Women’s Health, information sheet, January 2002.
Blindness: Vision 2020—The Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness
