With the support of the World Vision, in June 2004, the district Chi Linh Health Centre (Hai Duong province) co-operated with Institute of Ophthalmology to survey on blindness and some eye diseases in 3,370 people. Objectives: identify the situation of blindness and some eye diseases in Chi Linh in the year 2004; identify the trachoma prevalence after 4 years implementing the project of trachoma control in Chi Linh. Methods: cross sectional study; Target population: all people. Results of survey has shown the prevalences of blindness and some eye diseases are so high compared with the figures of country survey, the leading causes of blindness are cataract, glaucoma, corneal opacity and pterigium. Conclusion: Thank to project of trachoma control supported by WV conducted in Chi Linh from 1999, the prevalence of active trachoma now has dropped to level under the criteria of WHO on active trachoma elimination. However, the rate of trichiasis is very far from criteria of WHO. Results of survey has shown also the serious situation of blindness. That is the big challenge for health workers and ophthalmologists in Hai Duong province and Chi Linh district in order to reduce the blindness prevalence in the next years.
Eye Diseases, Blindness, Epidemiology

This survey comparing the primary causes of eye disease and visual impairment between rural and urban areas was conducted from the beginning of February through May of 1989. The outcome of that research on 686 residents (1372 eyes) of Buan-Kun, Chunbuk, and 997 residents (1994 eyes) of Dobong-Ku, Seoul, is as follows: 1. Of the basic ocular affections, pterygium was the most prevalent in Baun-Kun with 178 eyes (13.0%), while allergic and chronic conjunctivitis were in the majority in Dobong-Ku with 170 eyes (8.5%). 2. In causes of visual impairment, refractive error showed to be the main one in both Buan-Kun with 135 eyes (9.8%) and Dobong-Ku with 132 eyes (6.6%). 3. In rate of blindness, Buan-Kun had 7.0% monocular blindness and 3.2% of binocular blindness, while 4.1% of monocular blindness and 1.7% of binocular blindness were found in Dobong-Ku. 4. In causes of blindness, cataract (51.1%) was followed by macular degeneration (17.4%), corneal opacity (13.0%), and vascular retinopathy (9.8%) in Buan-Kun, while cataract (56.0%), macular degeneration (6.7%), corneal opacity (6.7%), and phthisis (6.7%) were recorded in that order in Dobong-Ku.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Blindness/epidemiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Eye Diseases/*epidemiology ; Female ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea/epidemiology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Random Allocation ; Vision Disorders/*epidemiology