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Glaucoma at the center of the Earth

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Abstract:

This chapter summarizes epidemiological data on glaucoma, a problem of public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Special attention is given to the findings of the Tema Eye Survey (TES), a large population-based study in people 40 years and older in an urban setting in Ghana, West Africa. Modeling studies estimated the prevalence of glaucoma in SSA at 4.2-4.5%, but this may not be representative of the whole SSA because it is only based on the few available data and there is a large genetic diversity across African populations. Out of 46 countries in SSA, reliable epidemiological data are available only for Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Tanzania. East and Southern Africa have a lower prevalence of glaucoma than West Africa. The TES, conducted near the “center of the earth”, found a prevalence of 8.0% and incidence of 0.58%, indicating that West Africans may have the greatest burden of glaucoma globally. These figures are comparable to those reported in the Caribbean, but higher than non-black populations worldwide.

Glaucoma Research 2020-2022, pp. 137-144 #13
Edited by: Paul A. Knepper and John R. Samples
© Kugler Publications, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

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