Comparative study on preventing avoidable blindness in China and in Nepal

Background "Vision 2020"was initiated in 1999 and many relevant activities are ongoing,but little information isavailable on what it has achieved and what constraints it faces.It is not yet clear if funding is the most importantconstraint.Nepal is one of the underdeveloped countries,but an advanced country in preventing avoidable blindness.The aim of this study was to compare the situation in China and in Nepal in prevention of avoidable blindness.Methods Data from literature review and a field visit were combined.All statistical analyses were carried out with SPSSVersion 11.5.The chi-square test was used for comparisons involving categorical variables.Results The blindness rate is higher in Nepal than that in China(P<0.05).The average number of cataract operationsperformed by one ophthalmologist is much lower in China than in Nepal.The cataract surgical rate(CSR)is much lowerin China than in Nepal(P<0.001).High cost of the surgery and inadequate qualifications of human resources were foundin China.Cataract surgical outcome in China compared well with international standards.Conclusions Progress towards the"Vision 2020"target in China is much slower than that in Nepal.Further attention toaddress this issue is urgently needed.Chin Med J 2007;120(4):280-283