October 12, 2017

Sammy Awami
BBC Africa, Dar es Salaam


[image: Inline image 1]AFP
Routine eye tests can help to detect and prevent cataracts, glaucoma and
blurred vision

Global rates of avoidable blindness are set to increase threefold in the
next four decades, warns a report by the International Agency for the
Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) <http://atlas.iapb.org/>.

Countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia are feared to be most at
risk.

The research points to 30 years of stagnation in tackling the leading cause
of avoidable blindness, especially among people aged over 50.

The IAPB, an international alliance of eye care organisations, believes
this stagnation is partly due to a rise in the world's ageing population

Cataracts, glaucoma and untreated cases of blurred vision are some of the
leading causes of blindness, according to the report published in the
Lancet medical journal.

A lack of resources is blamed for sub-Saharan Africa's failure to match the
progress seen in higher income countries, the report says, highlighting the
need for a massive increase in eye care provision.








-- 
Ann Marie

"The art of living consists of knowing what to pay attention to and what to
ignore."  -- Mardy Grothe

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