Rapid assessment of cataract surgical coverage in rural Zululand

Objective . Cataract surgical coverage (CSC) is a useful  indicator of the degree of success of a cataract intervention programme. However, because previously described methods are time-consuming and labour-intensive, they are rarely performed. This study describes a simple and inexpensive assessment of CSC based on screening of pensioners at pension delivery sites in a rural district. Design . Random cluster-based cross-sectional survey. Setting . State pension distribution sites in Hlabisa, a rural district in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Subjects . 562 old-age pensioners. Method . Subjects found to be ?lind (visual acuity < 3/60) and those reporting a history of eye surgery were examined using a torch and direct ophthalmoscop~by an ophthalmologist. Outcome measures . Cases of blindness due to operable cataract and post-cataract surgical subjects were identified. Results . CSC was found to be 38.5% (95% confidence interval 29.1 - 47.9%). Blindness prevalence was 10.3%, with 69.0% due to cataract.