Proportion of Glaucoma among individuals participated in a community screening program at Jimma University Department of Ophthalmology, Jimma, Ethiopia
Kumale Tolesa Daba, Gessesse Girum Woldegebriel and Sori Sisay Bekele
Jimma University, Ethiopia
Saint Paul Millennium Medical College, Ethiopia
: Int J Ophthalmic Pathol
Abstract
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, accounting for 15% of blindness. According to WHO estimate, people with high Intraocular pressure (IOP), >21 mm Hg, are around 104.5 million. People who are blind due to glaucoma are estimated to be 8 million. To date glaucoma community screening is a point of controversy. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of glaucoma among adults aged 40 years and above who had participated on a community screening program in Jimma University, Department of Ophthalmology. A cross-sectional study was conducted among volunteer residents of Jimma town and surrounding area with age 40 years and above who came on a community screening program conducted after media announcement. The participants were interviewed by trained data collectors and complete ophthalmic examination was performed in all cases by general ophthalmologists or/and glaucoma specialist. The data was analyzed using SPSS for Windows version 16.0 software. X2 test was performed and P-value<0.05 was considered significant. Of the adults who came for the screening, 47 (10.24%) were diagnosed to have glaucoma, 59 (12.85%) were glaucoma suspects, and 8 (1.74%) had ocular hypertension. The prevalence of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) was the highest (42.55% of all new glaucoma cases, and 4.4% of all screened adults). Around 5.7% of all glaucoma cases were found to be blind. Female sex, lower level of education, high blood pressure, and higher intraocular pressure were associated with glaucoma (P- value<0.05, 99% CI). Female sex and younger age group were associated with POAG, whereas older age was associated with Pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (P-value<0.05, 99% CI). Glaucoma awareness creation and glaucoma community screening should be promoted for early diagnosis and intervention to prevent irreversible blindness.
Biography
Daba Kumale Tolesa has completed Doctor of Medicine degree from Jimma University, School of Medicine and Ophthalmology specialty. She is an Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology in Jimma University. She has published 4 papers in reputed journals and has 6 more pending publications. She has inclination towards Glaucoma and Pediatric Ophthalmology. She did a short term fellowship on Pediatric Ophthalmology and strabismus at Gachon University Gil Hospital, South Korea and Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, Nepal.