About 50 million people are blind worldwide. Twenty million are blind from a single cause, cataract, and 75 percent are blind from conditions that are preventable and treatable. The majority of the world's blind live in developing countries where health care and medical resources are scarce. The technology for preventing blindness in these countries is simple, and eye care can be performed by specially trained health workers supervised by ophthalmologists, often in remote places with limited supplies and equipment. This book is intended are a reference and text for students and teachers of eye care and blindness prevention in these areas. The emphasis is one efficient and inexpensive methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention programs. This second edition has been revised and expanded, with updated coverage of onchocerciasis, nutrition, xerophtalmia, and the World Health Organization system for grading trachoma. A number of new illustrations are included to help clarify the textual material.

The number of the millions of blind in the world continues to grow, causing needless social and economic deprivation. Most of these blind can be cured, and much of the remainder prevented if all people had access to the simple and effective interventions that already exist. In this newly revised fourth edition ofEye Care in Developing Nations', t

The ability to see deeply affects how human beings perceive and interpret the world around them. For most people, eyesight is part of everyday communication, social activities, educational and professional pursuits, the care of others, and the maintenance of personal health, independence, and mobility. Functioning eyes and vision system can reduce an adult's risk of chronic health conditions, death, falls and injuries, social isolation, depression, and other psychological problems. In children, properly maintained eye and vision health contributes to a child's social development, academic achievement, and better health across the lifespan. The public generally recognizes its reliance on sight and fears its loss, but emphasis on eye and vision health, in general, has not been integrated into daily life to the same extent as other health promotion activities, such as teeth brushing; hand washing; physical and mental exercise; and various injury prevention behaviors. A larger population health approach is needed to engage a wide range of stakeholders in coordinated efforts that can sustain the scope of behavior change. The shaping of socioeconomic environments can eventually lead to new social norms that promote eye and vision health. Making Eye Health a Population Health Imperative: Vision for Tomorrow proposes a new population-centered framework to guide action and coordination among various, and sometimes competing, stakeholders in pursuit of improved eye and vision health and health equity in the United States. Building on the momentum of previous public health efforts, this report also introduces a model for action that highlights different levels of prevention activities across a range of stakeholders and provides specific examples of how population health strategies can be translated into cohesive areas for action at federal, state, and local levels.

This book presents a comprehensive treatise on community ophthalmology principles and practices for countries with developing and emerging economies. It is replete with chapters on basic epidemiology, health economics, basic statistics and lays the foundation of the global eye health-care programs with skills for community-based epidemiological projects in eye care. With extensive experience in conducting various epidemiological surveys funded by the Ministry of Health, WHO, Indian Council of Medical Research, etc., the editors provide practical knowledge to ophthalmologists, public health specialists, physician-scientists, researchers, eye care program managers, optometrists, and academicians involved in community ophthalmology operational studies. Key Features: Presents a single platform for knowing everything about community ophthalmology from statistics and epidemiology to financing in an easy and succinct manner Serves as a robust resource and an advanced teaching tool for medical professionals Includes well-illustrated, succinct chapters for better understanding of various aspects of public health in eye care Provides tips and tricks for dealing with both expected and unexpected situations while conducting epidemiological research and data collection in the field.

This unique book will provide readers with an understanding of innovative models of delivering both primary and secondary eye care, focusing not just on providing quality care itself, but on best practices to provide and strengthen comprehensive eye care services. A wide variety of conditions will be addressed in Innovative Approaches in the Delivery of Primary and Secondary Eye Care, including childhood blindness, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, age related macular degeneration, and refractive errors. Detailed descriptions of various models are presented for each condition, which are then followed by a discussion for incorporating integrated eye care services; highlighting the importance of health system approach in comprehensive eye care. Finally, this book provides detailed strategies to address the current practical challenges related to human resources in eye care, and methods to ensure financial sustainability in the delivery of comprehensive care. Each chapter is illustrated for understanding and clarity, and provides easy-to-read tables to further enrich the text. Covering existing models of delivering care, with a look to the future, Innovative Approaches in the Delivery of Primary and Secondary Eye Care is designed for practicing ophthalmologists, residents, public health specialists and all other affiliated professionals dedicated to strengthening avenues of integrated, comprehensive eye care.