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Cataract in South-East Asia

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South-East Asia Eye Health

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Abstract

The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) South-East Asia Region (SEAR) consists of 11 countries; 6 from the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka) and 4 from geographic South-East Asia (Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and the Democratic People’s Republic of (DPR) Korea). The region is home to nearly 26% of the world population [1]. Cataract is the most common cause of blindness and visual impairment globally and in the region (Fig. 9.1) [2, 3]. Cataract accounts for nearly half to three-fourths of all cases of blindness and severe visual impairment (SVI) [2]. The region has witnessed enormous economic development in the past three decades, which has reduced blindness and SVI. Cataract surgical programs have been the mainstays by which this region has reduced avoidable blindness; many countries in the region now have modern cataract surgery facilities using the latest techniques and technologies [3].

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology, Kathmandu, Nepal

    Reeta Gurung & Radhika Upreti Oli

  2. Community Eye Care Foundation, Dr. Gogate’s Eye Clinic, Pune, Maharashtra, India

    Parikshit Gogate

  3. Directorate General of Medical Education, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    A. H. M. Enayet Hussain

  4. Association of Community Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka, Colombo, Sri Lanka

    Asela Abeydeera

  5. Department of Ophthalmology, JDW National Referral Hospital, Thimphu, Bhutan

    Indra P. Sharma & Nor Tshering Lepcha

  6. Faculty of Postgraduate Medicine, Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Science of Bhutan, Thimphu, Bhutan

    Indra P. Sharma & Nor Tshering Lepcha

  7. VISION 2020, India, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Phanindra B. Nukella

  8. Section of Cataract Blindness Elimination of Indonesian Ophthalmologist Association West Java, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

    Syumarti

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  1. Reeta Gurung
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India

    Taraprasad Das

  2. Regional office for South East Asia, World Health Organization - India, New Delhi, India

    Patanjali Dev Nayar

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Gurung, R. et al. (2021). Cataract in South-East Asia. In: Das, T., Nayar, P.D. (eds) South-East Asia Eye Health. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-3787-2_9

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