Ocular health status,knowledge, and barriers to uptake eye care services of children among tribal communities of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

Session Details

Session Title: Orbis Free Paper Session

Session Date/Time: Monday 12/09/2016 | 11:30-12:45

Paper Time: 12:17

Venue: Room B10

First Author: : T.Sultana BANGLADESH

Co Author(s): :    T. Sadeed   A. Quddus                 

Abstract Details

Purpose:

The purposes of this study were to find out the ocular status, knowledge, and barriers to uptake eye care services among the tribal children of Bangladesh.

Setting:

The study was conducted in one of the hill districts, which is home of different tribal communities.

Methods:

Clinical examinations were conducted by qualified optometrists and ophthalmologists for determining the ocular status of children. Face to face interviews and focus group discussions were held with guardians and parents of Children for collecting about socio-economic information of children and identifying the barriers, if any, to uptake services.

Results:

Almost all children were of hill tribes. Nearly 42% of the children were female and 58% male. About 24% of the children were found having some abnormalities in eyes. Of those having problems suffer primarily from Allergic Conjunctivitis followed by Refractive Error, Blepharitis, Squint, Keratoconus, Pathological Myopia, and Convergence insufficiency. It is observed that with the increase of age the complain among children increases as only 9% children in the age group of 5-7 years of age had the problem while that number had increased to 35% in 8 to 12 years age group and 57% in the age group of 13-16. The trend of complain also differed by ethnicity i.e. the Plain Landers have more complain than tribal ones.

Conclusions:

The good thing is that 90% of the guardians know where to go for the treatment but many of them can’t afford. However, the tribal people were found very positive toward modern treatment.

Financial Disclosure:

NONE