Causes of Visual Impairment and Blindness among Participants at a Free Community Outreach Program in Edo State

Objective: To determine the common causes of visual impairment (VI) and blindness among attendees of a free community outreach program in Edo Central and Edo North Senatorial zones of Edo State. Methods: This report presents the findings from a free community outreach program conducted in the Edo Central and North Senatorial Zones. The participants were residents of these senatorial zones who attended the free ophthalmic outreach events organized between February and July 2022. Results: Four hundred and eighty-two people participated in the outreach events, which were conducted in four different locations across the two senatorial zones. There were 234 participants from the Edo Central senatorial zone and 248 participants from the Edo North senatorial zone. In the Edo Central senatorial zone, 46.2% were either visually impaired (moderate VI = 27.4%, severe VI = 4.7%) or blind (14.1%). In the Edo North senatorial zone, the prevalence of moderate and severe VI was 35% and 2% respectively, while the prevalence of blindness was 12.5%. Cataract was the leading cause of moderate, severe VI, and blindness (55%, 75%, and 64.1%), respectively, across both zones. Whilst refractive error was the second most common cause of moderate VI, and glaucoma was the second most common cause of blindness. Conclusion: The primary causes of VI and blindness in the Edo Central and North Senatorial zones are cataract, glaucoma, and refractive error. Strategies targeting these causes of blindness by promoting awareness and improving access to the available eye care services are recommended.