Childhood Blindness
There are 1.4 million blind children worldwide. Seventy-five percent of blind children are living in developing countries. Historically, vitamin A deficiency has been the cause of more than two-thirds of childhood blindness (>350,000 per year), especially in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, as well as increasing the risk of illness and death from common infections, such as measles, diarrhea and malaria. Other causes of blindness in developing countries include cataracts, trachoma, onchocerciasis and refractive error.
Children suffering from blindness are at greater risk of death from the primary causes of their blindness or from other deprivations associated with their blindness and care. Those who survive and their families face a lifetime of challenge and struggle to meet their basic needs and to allow them to be productive within society.
Most childhood blindness is preventable through basic health care and hygienic practices - adequate nutrition, basic immunizations, antenatal care including prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted infections in women prior to delivery, protective eye drops at birth, and avoidance of harmful traditional eye medicines.
USAID Response
With the establishment of national programs for routine supplementation of young children and the fortification of commonly consumed foods, the incidence of severe vitamin A deficiency (xerophthalmia) is falling rapidly in developing countries. USAID continues to be the lead international donor for these programs, as well as for immunizations against diseases including measles, another primary cause of childhood blindness that often precipitates xerophthalmia.
In addition, Congress has provided funds (approximately $1 million per year) to USAID since 1991 to address other primary causes of childhood blindness - both preventive and corrective measures. Through these programs, USAID provides support to improve quality and access to ocular surgery, treatment and rehabilitation services for children with cataracts and other eye problems. Complementary programs work to strengthen school-based screening and provision of eyeglasses, while referring children with other eye pathologies to primary eye care services.
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