ABSTRACT
According to a WHO report, in 2002, the estimated number of people with blindness worldwide was about 37 million (Resniko et al. 2004). Since adults 50 years of age and older account for more than 82% of all blind people, the current prevalence is expected to increase with the aging of the population. e leading cause of blindness is cataracts, which account for approximately 50% of cases. Other main causes include glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), corneal opacities, and diabetic retinopathy (DR). In developed countries, glaucoma is the second leading cause of vision loss after AMD. While blindness is unavoidable with AMD, for other diseases, known eective strategies for elimination, screening, and early treatment are critical for the prevention of total blindness.
