Summary

The number of patients with visual impairment and blindness from glaucoma is rapidly increasing with wide-ranging impacts for individuals and societies. However, the disease often goes undiagnosed for a long time, especially in low- and middle-income countries where healthcare services are limited. This paper presents the results of a pilot programme, where targeted glaucoma screenings of people over the age of 40 were integrated into community-based eye care services in the Ganjam district of Odisha state, India.

We identified factors associated with a positive diagnosis of glaucoma, which included being female, age over 60 years, visual impairment, vertical cap-to-disc ratio ≥0.6:1, intraocular pressure ≥30 mmHg and shallow anterior chamber (p<0.001). Our study highlights the importance of targeted screening for glaucoma using simple referral criteria to identify patients at high risk of vision loss who can benefit from treatment.