The Burden of Blindness and Vision Impairment in the Middle East and North Africa: A Global Burden of Disease 2019 Perspective.

Abstract

Purpose: This study analyzes the prevalence, causes, and distribution of blindness and moderate-to-severe vision impairment (MSVI) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 dataset.

Methods: The GBD 2019 dataset was used to analyze vision impairment across 21 countries in MENA according to the Snellen chart classification (moderate vision impairment with presenting visual acuity worse than 6/18, severe impairment worse than 6/60, blindness worse than 3/60). Age-standardized prevalence and regional variations were compared to global averages. An exponential linear regression model was used to forecast MSVI and blindness in the year 2050.

Results: As of 2019, approximately 37.2 million people in MENA experienced blindness or vision loss. Although the age-standardized prevalence of vision impairment and blindness in MENA decreased from 1990 to 2019 due to improvements in healthcare, the absolute number has almost doubled (18.58 million in 1990 to 37.19 million in 2019) due to population growth and aging. Between 1990 to 2019, the population aged 70 and older in MENA grew from 7.2 million to over 19.2 million. Lastly, our predictions indicate an 86% increase in the number of individuals with vision loss by 2050.

Conclusion: The largest causes of moderate vision loss were refractive errors and cataracts, respectively, while the major causes of blindness were cataracts and glaucoma, respectively. The projection of increased vision impairment by 2050 underscores the urgent need for policy changes and efficient resource distribution to improve healthcare access and interventions.