ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of eye health and health systems, and discusses challenges inherent to working in the Global South, deals with an examination of the importance of community partnership and appreciation of indigenous knowledge and skill. Global inequality in eye health may be measured using disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). For non-communicable eye diseases, the major contributor is refractive errors, regardless of economic status. 'Creating new eye health services for refractive errors and reducing the unacceptable eye health disparity in refractive errors should be the highest priorities for international public health services in eye care'. Social and cultural barriers are real considerations, particularly in rural areas where there is a lack of education and awareness of potential benefits, and a fear of harm associated with medical and surgical intervention. Rural communities have strong faith in traditional healers who provide the first line of medical attention, where modern medical services are inaccessible.
