Iceh News
Malaysian children miss recommended eye tests due to regulatory barriers, study finds
Photograph: Aeesha Malik A new study has revealed substantial differences in how children receive eye examinations in Malaysia, with regulatory and institutional barriers limiting the use of cycloplegic refraction in many settings. The findings suggest that children...
Teleophthalmology helps manage thousands of corneal conditions closer to home in rural India
Photograph: Luke Allen A new study from northern India has shown that teleophthalmology can enable people with corneal disease to receive specialist-supported care without travelling to hospital at scale, while ensuring that patients with sight-threatening conditions...
Glaucoma awareness linked to earlier presentation in south-east Nigeria, study finds
Counselling for glaucoma. Photograph: Bintu Lamba A new study from researchers in Nigeria and the International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH) has found that people who were aware of glaucoma before diagnosis were more likely to present earlier for specialist care....
Survey reveals high burden of avoidable blindness in northwest Ethiopia
Photograph: Sasipriya M Karumanchi A new Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) survey has found that blindness and vision impairment remain major public health challenges in northwest Ethiopia, with more than four in five cases of blindness caused by...
Could publicly funded eye care improve access in New Zealand? New study explores the costs
A new study published in the Journal of Primary Health Care suggests that introducing publicly funded community eye care in Aotearoa New Zealand, modelled on Australia’s Medicare system, could substantially improve access to eye examinations and spectacles,...
Trial finds no clear advantage of different face-washing methods for trachoma
Face washing. Photograph: John Buchan A new randomised trial has found that three different face-washing methods, using water alone, water with soap, or a damp antimicrobial microfibre towel, were equally ineffective at removing Chlamydia trachomatis DNA from the...
Early near-vision glasses could improve visual development in vulnerable infants, study suggests
A new feasibility trial published in BMJ Open suggests that prescribing near-vision glasses to very young infants at high risk of cerebral visual impairment (CVI - sight loss due to damage in the brain rather than the eye itself) may improve early visual and...
Nigeria cataract surgery outcomes improve but remain below WHO targets
Cataract Surgery in Nigeria. Photograph: Abdulwahab Usman A new study has found that visual outcomes following cataract surgery in Nigeria remain below internationally recommended standards, despite improvements over time. The study highlights both the progress made...
Study quantifies impact of diabetic retinopathy on quality of life in Tanzania
A new study from Tanzania has provided some of the first evidence from Africa on how diabetic retinopathy affects quality of life, finding that blindness caused by the condition is associated with a substantial reduction in both general health-related quality of life...