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Cataract surgery rate increasing in Sudan
ISTANBUL, Turkey — A study in Sudan found that cataract surgery there is on the rise, accounting for 2,025 operations performed in 2009 out of 72,024 diagnosed cataract cases.
"This increased access to cataract surgery is highly significant, considering that the total number of surgeries was 560 in 2002," Kamal Binnawi, MD, said at the winter meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons.
Sudan is the largest country in Africa, with a population of 40 million. A total of 292 ophthalmologists work in 28 eye hospitals/departments in the country, eight of which were established by non-governmental organizations, 16 by the government and four privately.
Extracapsular cataract extraction still accounts for the majority of cases (77%), but only 2% are not implanted with an IOL. The highest share of cataract surgery care is provided by non-governmental organizations (56%), followed by the government (36%) and private practices (8%).
"If we look at [phacoemulsification] surgery only, the proportion of private care grows to 25%," Dr. Binnawi said.
The study also showed considerable variation in the cataract surgery rate between different states in the country, with more than half of the procedures performed in Sudan's capital, Khartoum.
Lower access of care to female patients was also reported.
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