{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,16]],"date-time":"2026-09-16T02:25:58Z","timestamp":1789525558060,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"2","content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Br J Ophthalmol"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2024,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec><jats:title>Aim<\/jats:title><jats:p>To determine the prevalence and the causes of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI\/BL) in children at a tertiary referral centre in Rwanda.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title><jats:p>In this retrospective study, files of all patients &lt;18 years presenting during the year 2019 at the Kabgayi Eye Unit in Rwanda with SVI\/BL (presenting visual acuity of &lt;6\/60 Snellen or lack of preferential looking behaviour) in at least one eye were analysed for age, sex, laterality, province of origin and cause of SVI\/BL. Causes were categorised according to WHO standard classification.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results<\/jats:title><jats:p>Out of 3939 children presenting to the clinic, 428 (10.9%) had SVI\/BL in at least one eye. 165 (4.2%) patients had bilateral and 263 (6.7%) had unilateral condition. Of patients with BL\/SVI, 36.7% were below the age of 6 years. In bilateral BL\/SVI, the main causes were cataract (18%), refractive error (18%), keratoconus (13%), congenital eye anomaly (9%), glaucoma (8%), cortical blindness (8%) and retinoblastoma (6%). In unilateral BL\/SVI it was trauma (46%), cataract (8%), keratoconus (8%), infectious corneal disease (7%) and retinoblastoma (7%). In preschool children, retinopathy of prematurity accounted for 7% of bilateral BL\/SVI. Avoidable BL\/SVI accounted for 87% of all cases.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title><jats:p>The high number of avoidable causes for SVI\/BL may be reduced through several cost-effective ways.<\/jats:p><\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bjo-2022-321522","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,3]],"date-time":"2023-01-03T18:20:10Z","timestamp":1672770010000},"page":"280-284","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Distribution and causes of blindness and severe visual impairment in children at a tertiary referral centre in Rwanda"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"108","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6120-4603","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sylvain","family":"El-Khoury","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sophia","family":"Strittmatter","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Theophile","family":"Tuyisabe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paul-Rolf","family":"Preussner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9887-0992","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Youssef","family":"Abdelmassih","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,1,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"2024012903300904000_108.2.280.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1001\/archopht.122.4.615","article-title":"Vision 2020: the right to sight: a global initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness","volume":"122","author":"Pizzarello","year":"2004","journal-title":"Arch Ophthalmol"},{"key":"2024012903300904000_108.2.280.2","unstructured":"Organization WH . 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