Piloting integration of targeted glaucoma screening within community eye care services in Ganjam district, India

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.