Objectives. The Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness is
responsible for the provision of cataract surgery to the
rural indigent population of South Africa. It is important for
the Bureau to know both the prevalence and the incidence
of cataract blindness in the population.
Design, setting and subjects. Blindness prevalence
surveys were conducted in Kwazulu in 1.990 and 1993.
Outcome measures and results. The prevalence of
cataract blindness was 0,59% (95% confidence interval
0,21) in 1990 and 1993. The prevalence of aphakia was
0,1% in 1990 and 0,2% in 1993, demonstrating a probable
increase in the delivery of cataract surgical services,
although this had not produced a demonstrable fall in the
prevalence of cataract blindness. The calculated annual
incidence of cataract blindness was 0,14%.
Conclusion. Among a rural population of approximately
19 million South Africans, there is a backlog of 113 000
unoperated cataract-blind people and an incidence of
27 000 new cataract blind per year. The implications of
this backlog for cataract blindness in our rural areas are
discussed.