Biomaterial Database

A prevalence survey of ophthalmic diseases among the Turkana tribe in north-west Kenya. 1990

R Loewenthal, and J Pe'er

Department of Ophthalmology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.

A prevalence survey of ophthalmic disease was conducted among the Turkana tribe in northwest Kenya. Altogether 900 people were examined in different sites of the semiarid and arid Turkana region. The findings show the prevalence of blindness to be 1.1% and the prevalence of blindness in one eye to be 6.8%. The major causes of blindness up to age 35 were corneal disease from xerophthalmia and trachoma and above age 45 cataract. Trauma was a major cause of monocular blindness. The prevalence of trachoma and its complications was 42.8% and the prevalence of cataract 5.2%. Cataract begins to form at an early age (25-35). The prevalence of xerophthalmia was 44%. These findings are similar to previously reported studies in Africa, especially in semiarid areas. The main remedy lies in improvement of education and the environment.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D007630	Kenya	A republic in eastern Africa, south of ETHIOPIA, west of SOMALIA with TANZANIA to its south, and coastline on the Indian Ocean. Its capital is Nairobi.	Republic of Kenya
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D001766	Blindness	The inability to see or the loss or absence of perception of visual stimuli. This condition may be the result of EYE DISEASES; OPTIC NERVE DISEASES; OPTIC CHIASM diseases; or BRAIN DISEASES affecting the VISUAL PATHWAYS or OCCIPITAL LOBE.	Amaurosis,Bilateral Blindness,Blindness, Bilateral,Blindness, Legal,Blindness, Monocular,Blindness, Unilateral,Sudden Visual Loss,Unilateral Blindness,Blindness, Acquired,Blindness, Complete,Blindness, Hysterical,Blindness, Transient,Acquired Blindness,Amauroses,Bilateral Blindnesses,Complete Blindness,Hysterical Blindness,Legal Blindness,Monocular Blindness,Sudden Visual Losses,Transient Blindness,Visual Loss, Sudden
D002386	Cataract	Partial or complete opacity on or in the lens or capsule of one or both eyes, impairing vision or causing blindness. The many kinds of cataract are classified by their morphology (size, shape, location) or etiology (cause and time of occurrence). (Dorland, 27th ed)	Cataract, Membranous,Lens Opacities,Pseudoaphakia,Cataracts,Cataracts, Membranous,Lens Opacity,Membranous Cataract,Membranous Cataracts,Opacities, Lens,Opacity, Lens,Pseudoaphakias
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003231	Conjunctivitis	INFLAMMATION of the CONJUNCTIVA.	Pink Eye,Conjunctivitides,Pink Eyes