BLINDNESS DUE TO CATARACT - EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PREVENTION

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness, accounting for 50% of blin dness worldwide. Although significant progress has been made toward id entifying risk factors for cataract, there is no proven primary preven tion or medical treatment. Surgical removal of cataract remains the on ly therapy. In this paper, we reviewed (a) the prevalence and incidenc e data of cataract, (b) the findings on risk factors for cataract, and (c) health service utilization and outcome of cataract surgery in bot h developed and developing countries.