worldwide who have glaucoma range from 67 million (The Glaucoma Foundation, 

2001) to about 105 million "suspect" cases of glaucoma (World Health 

Organization, 1997c).  

Other Leading Causes of Blindness

  (World Health Organization, 1997d). 

"River Blindness" or onchocerciasis accounts for approximately 270,000 cases of 

blindness worldwide   almost 99% of these cases are in Africa. 

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment in 

economically developed societies. 

Macular degeneration.is the most common non avoidable cause of vision 

impairment.  It is estimated that about 8 million persons worldwide are blind or 

severely visually impaired due to macular degeneration.

Children 

Worldwide, approximately 1.4 million children age 0 14 years are blind, defined as 

a corrected visual acuity in the better eye of less than 3/60 

(

Thylefors, Negrel

, 

Pararajasegaram, & Dadzie, 1995). 

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