Epidemiology of Childhood Blindness in New Zealand

Abstract

Currently, there are approximately 39 million people registered blind globally. Of these, 1.4 million (4%) are children under the age of 16. This does not take into account a further 17.6 million children with low vision. On face value, 4% may appear to be a small value but the implications of childhood blindness are vastly disproportionate. In fact, childhood blindness is only second to cataracts as the largest cause of blind-person years. Despite the major impact of childhood blindness, there has been a scarcity of studies on this debilitating outcome. Epidemiological studies into childhood blindness are important for prevention of avoidable blindness and resource management. It would also help provide a scaffold for development of management and early intervention strategies. The work for this thesis began in 2013 during my research fellowship at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, New Zealand. At that time, there was little data in the literature on childhood blindness and an insurgence of interest to study aspects of childhood visual impairment in New Zealand. At the University of Auckland, under auspices of Dr. Shuan Dai and Professor Charles McGhee, a comprehensive epidemiological study on childhood visual impairment was carried out. Data collection took place at the Blind and Low Vision Education Network New Zealand (BLENNZ), where visually impaired children are registered in New Zealand. At BLENNZ, Tracey O’Sullivan and Sharon Goldsmith were instrumental in troubleshooting the “live” electronic register of visually impaired children. The studies, presented in this thesis, documented various epidemiological facets of childhood visual impairment in New Zealand. It is hoped, that this data will provide accurate region specific information on the impact of childhood blindness in New Zealand, and enhance our current knowledge and management of paediatric ophthalmic conditions.