Prevalence of glaucoma among patients attending Buluk Eye Centre, Juba, South Sudan: a one-year study

Abstract

Introduction: Glaucoma remains the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. Early detection and treatment play a key role in glaucoma management. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of glaucoma among patients attending the eye clinic at Buluk Eye Centre from 1st January to 31st December 2017.

Method: This study was a cross-sectional retrospective study using data extracted from the registration cards of patients at Buluk Eye Centre from 1st of January 2017 to 31st of December 2017. A datasheet was used to collect the relevant variables including demographic variables. Data were entered, organized and analysed using SPSS version 21 [IBM SPSS Statistics] and p<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: The studied population was 16,727 patients (33,454 eyes) seen, age range from 7 months to 90 years, (mean 56.7, SD 14.7). There were 63% females and 37% males, ratio of 1.7:1 (p<0.05). Glaucoma accounted for 2.3% of diseases seen with p<0.05. Females (58%) were more affected than males (42%), with age group 46-60 years being the most affected (36.9% p<0.05). Most of the patients (71.9%) had visual acuity of less than 3/60 in both eyes (p<0.05). The highest proportion of glaucoma cases (29.4%) presented in July to September, with the least (21.2%) from January to March. Most of the glaucoma cases (39%) originated from Central Equatoria and the least (1%) from Abyei.

Conclusion: Glaucoma remains a significant cause of severe sight loss in South Sudan, particularly affecting females and those aged 45-60 years.