So far, raab has been successfully undertaken in kenya, 1 bangladesh, 2 the philippines, botswana, rwanda, mexico, and china personal communication. Method a rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab survey methodology was used to select 3120 persons aged 50 years and over. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness provides valid estimates in a short period of time to assess the magnitude and causes of avoidable blindness. It is a valuable alternative to a conventional eye survey in. The rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab survey is an efficient and standardised methodology that can be used to generate populationbased evidence on the prevalence and causes of blindness, and assess cataract surgical services for individuals aged 50 years and older. Training of trainers in rapid assessment of avoidable. A rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab was conducted in southern zambia to establish the prevalence and causes of blindness in order to. Raab is a crosssectional communitybased survey aimed at assessing the prevalence of avoidable eye conditions and the coverage and outcomes of cataract surgery in. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness in western rwanda. Special software calculate sample size random selection of clusters interobserver variation assessment. Raab can provide the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment, its main causes, the output and quality of eye care services. First rapid assessment of avoidable blindness survey in. Each participant had visual acuity and lens assessment. A rapid assessment of avoidable blindness in southern zambia.
Diagnostic accuracy of rapid assessment of avoidable. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness for health service. Prevalence of blindness and visual impairment is very high in papua new guinea. The module is focused at the district planning level and will complement existing tools such as whos eye care service assessment tool,14 which is used at the national level. Findings from racss and raab are essential as baseline data for planning of intervention programmes to eliminate avoidable blindness, and to measure achievements over. Objective to evaluate the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment, the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy among people aged.
Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab is a rapid, populationbased survey methodology on blindness, visual impairment and eye care services among people aged 50 years and over. To investigate and describe the prevalence and causes of blindness and moderate and severe visual impairment in older adults living in uruguay. Pdf rapid assessment of avoidable blindness and cataract. The rapid assessment of avoidable blindness, or raab, is a relatively simple and lowcost survey methodology to provide data on the prevalence and causes of visual loss. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness in papua new. Users will be able to access the system without needing to install software. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab is a rapid, populationbased survey methodology on blindness, visual impairment and eye care services. The rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab survey technique was developed as an efficient and quick way to describe blindness at district level populations of approximately 12 million people. Raab is a standardised methodology that is designed to determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment in an area, as well as other information that can. This website aims to give an overview of all raabs and rapid assessments of cataract surgical services racss, the software package that preceded raab surveys done so far, the location, the year, pi, raab trainer, publications and the main findings. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab is a rapid methodology to. Raab only includes the over50 year age group, where the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment is highest 3, so that required sample sizes are minimised and uses relatively.
The first rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab. Rapid assessment and avoidable blindness raab in myanmar. Rapid assessment for avoidable blindness in the eastern. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness and cataract surgical services in kilimanjaro region, tanzania. The rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab is a rapid survey methodology developed at iceh, and used to complete over 300 surveys of visual impairment and blindness to date. Visual impairment and blindness in hungary request pdf. The rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab has been developed as a simple. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness in india plos. To estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness in persons above 50 years in kolar, south india, using the above methodology. The training was cofunded by the fred hollows foundation and was attended by thirteen rapid assessment of avoidable. The rapid assessment of avoidable blindness, or raab, is a relatively simple. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab what is raab.
Standard raab plus dr survey methodology was used to select and examine a total of 3885 persons 50 years and older across the whole country. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness and diabetic. For the first time, the methodology was developed and used for rapid assessment of avoidable blindness in india. The rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab has been developed as a simple and rapid survey methodology that can provide data on the prevalence and causes of blindness. The aim of this article is to reflect on the achievements and challenges of raab, and to describe the future developments that are needed to ensure that it remains a relevant and widely used tool. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab 5 hans limburg md phd. This software package and manual are provided free of charge and may be. Persons with vision less than 612 in any eye were assessed for the cause of visual impairment. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab is a wellestablished and widely used method to collect representative populationbased epidemiological data on the prevalence and causes of blindness, visual impairments, and eyecare services.
The first rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab in. A nationwide rapid assessment of avoidable blindness survey was undertaken in the maldives among people aged 50 years or more to assess the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment, cataract surgical coverage, cataract surgery outcome, and barriers to uptake of cataract surgical services. The raab software allowed assessment of data entry errors and missing information. With the clarion call for the elimination of avoidable blindness by 2020, rapid assessments have evolved to include all causes of avoidable blindness like cataract, refractive errors, trachoma and other causes of corneal scarring. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab is a rapid survey.
It is a population based survey of blindness and visual impairment and eye care services among people aged 50 years and over. The rapid assessment for avoidable blindness is planned as the initial step to develop concrete plans of action. This standardised methodology is called the rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab. The assessment was based on the standardized methodology of the rapid assessment of avoidable blindness and diabetic retinopathy, a populationbased survey for blindness and visual impairment. Findings from racss and raab are essential as baseline data for planning of intervention programmes to eliminate avoidable blindness, and to measure achievements over time of ongoing intervention programmes. Raab is rapid because it uses simplified examination techniques and, because it only includes examination of people. Blindness was defined as presenting visual acuity rapid assessment for avoidable blindness survey underway. Who rapid assessment of avoidable blindness for health. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness methodology provides valid estimates in short time to assess magnitude and causes of blindness. The rapid assessment of avoidable blindness commonly called raab is cited in. Dr thobeka thanga, the programme manager for the fred hollows foundation, said as the eye conditions are common to people 50 years and above, the study will focus on that age group. Raab is rapid, because it only includes the over50.
More recent information, however, has shown a shift in the causes of preventable blindness and in the challenges faced section 1. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness plus diabetic. The centre for eye research australia cera was commissioned through cbm international to conduct the. Many have reported their cases while a majority still have not reported to the nearest eye care professionals. Programme planners are often reluctant to plan surveys, as they are believed to be expensive, timeconsuming, and complicated.
Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab is a method endorsed by who for populationbased surveys of vi and eye care services among people aged 50 years and older. This page links to the most uptodate raab5 and raab6 software. Pdf rapid assessment of avoidable blindness in uruguay. This population based survey was organised by the ministry of health and child care, in collaboration with cbm, zimbabwe council for the blind and the community eye health institute, university of cape town. Methods a crosssectional study of a population in thailand age 50 years old or over aimed to assess the prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairments. Results of rapid assessment of avoidable blindness summary report. The raab is intended to provide the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment, its main causes, the output and quality of eye care services, barriers, cataract. Prevalence and causes of blindness and visual impairment. The fred hollows foundation works on rapid assessment of avoidable blindness, a program that works with needful people and sidebyside with the local people to focus on sustainability of a crucial part of the body. The sample was selected using a multistage cluster randomised sampling. A training of trainers in rapid assessment of avoidable blindness was held at the regional office of the western pacific in manila, philippines from 10 to 15 march 2014. The rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab is a rapid survey. This is the first rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab study in thailand. A rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab was conducted in manicaland province, zimbabwe from march to april 2016.
Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab is a rapid survey methodology. Population based surveys have been the main source for providing information on whether the program was progressing in the right direction 2. Feasibility of the rapid assessment of avoidable blindness. Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness raab is a rapid methodology to conduct a population based survey of visual impairment and eye care services among people aged 50 years and over.
578 1260 1366 427 740 312 1063 591 664 475 254 95 1242 1407 650 1432 1021 53 1026 1322 978 682 1353 57 146 55 559 851 51 99 285 1439 1016 830 829 1233 798 259 220 1323 1091 376 905 1026 513 1074 148 1137 464