Background: Visual impairment (VI) is a public health problem that can affect an individual’s social wellbeing. The study aims to determine the distribution and causes of vision impairment (VI) and blindness among patients at Nigerian Army Eye Centre Lagos, Nigeria. Method: An institutional cross-sectional study was conducted, and a systematic random sampling technique was used to enrol study participants from their medical records. Information about their demography, presenting visual acuity (VA), best corrected visual acuity and cause of VI and blindness, were retrieved. Result: A total of five hundred (500) medical records of patients aged from 4 to 96 years, with a mean age of 54.07 ± 21.43 years, were considered for the study. Among the participants, more than half were males (51.2%) and ≥60 years (53.0%). A large (47.2%) proportion of the patients had moderate VI at the time of presentation, followed by blindness (22.0%). The major cause of blindness was cataract, while glaucoma and refractive error were the major causes of VI. Blindness and VI were significantly associated with the type of VI before and after the provision of intervention (p < 0.05) across different age groups (children, youths, adults, elderly) with an adjusted p < 0.003 after an intervention. Conclusions: Cataracts, glaucoma and uncorrected refractive error (URE) were the major causes of VI and blindness in Lagos State. VI was more prevalent in males than females; however, there was no significant difference between the two proportions. The prevalence of VI among age groups was more significant for those 60 years and above. Early screening for the detection and management of cataract, URE and glaucoma is highly advised to reduce the burden of VI.

Background and Aim: To report the scope of optometry practice in Trinidad and Tobago to identify areas that need improvement.Methods: A cross‐sectional study of optometrists in Trinidad and Tobago was conducted using a validated self‐structured questionnaire. Data obtained was exported to the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Descriptive analysis and Pearson χ² were used to summarize the demographic data and determine associations, respectively.Result: A total of 63 optometrists participated in the study. Majority of them were females (69.8%, n = 44), Christians (65.1%), East Indians (47.6%), and 30 years and below (66.7%). Most (87%) of them utilized routine optometric equipment in their clinical practice including autorefractors, retinoscopes, direct ophthalmoscopes, lensometers, phoropters, slit lamp biomicroscopes, trial lens boxes, and visual acuity chart projectors. A few of them have noncontact tonometer (4.8%), Volk lenses (1.6%), and perform color vision tests (1.6%). Fewer (12.7%, n = 8) practitioners provided low‐vision services. The use of pharmaceutical agents was prevalent among the participants (55.6%). Additionally, the provision of contact lenses was the most frequently practiced service among the participants (85.7%, n = 54). A significant association was observed between the provision of low‐vision services and sex (p = 0.03).Conclusion: The scope of optometry practice in Trinidad and Tobago is in accordance with the basic guidelines set out by the World Council of Optometry but there is need to get more involved in the provision of low vision and other specialty services.

Occupational health issues are the highest among workers in developing nations. This study aimed to assess the awareness of ocular hazards among welders in Bindura. An observational cross-sectional design with a validated structured self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the awareness of ocular hazards among 400 welders. Among the 400 welders, 397(99.3%) were males and their ages ranged from 19 – 56 with a mean age of 36 ± 8 years. Most (35%) of them, 140 had been involved in welding for 6-10 years. The most common type of welding among the participants was arc welding (87.8%). Majority (99.3%) of the welders were aware that welding without the use of protective equipment is a potential source of ocular hazards. Many welders had access to protective face shields and used them all the time (84.5%). The most common condition was ocular foreign bodies (17.7%), followed by Arc eye (4.8%). Awareness about welding as a source of ocular hazard depends on the type of welding used (p < 0.05). The awareness of ocular hazards among welders in Bindura is high. Although, protective devices are provided, regular utilization needs to be encouraged and enforced.

Background: Despite the increasing prevalence of ocular allergies globally, there is a lack of literature regarding the awareness and knowledge levels of ocular allergies in Zimbabwe. This study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of ocular allergy among undergraduate students in public universities in Zimbabwe. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted across eleven public universities in Zimbabwe, and questionnaires were sent via WhatsApp and other social media platforms. The study was carried out between April 2022 and November 2022. A three-section self-administered online questionnaires created electronically on Google Forms were used to collect the data. Results: The study included 1000 undergraduate students, comprising 54.1% males and 45.9% females. Their age ranged between 18 and 42 years. Most students (29.3%) were from the science faculties and were in their third year (34.0%). Almost all the participants (96.1%) were enrolled in the conventional study type. A significant association was found between sex and place of origin, the year of study, and the course of study (p<0.001). Most of the students had a fair knowledge of ocular allergies, and there was a significant association with the programme of study (p<0.05). More than half of the participants (55.3%) reported that ocular allergies are eye inflammation in response to a harmless foreign substance. Most of the participants had poor knowledge of the forms of ocular allergy. Sources of information on ocular allergy, as reported by the participants, included friends or relatives, the internet, media, eye specialists, training programs, books, and schools. Conclusion and Recommendation: Awareness and knowledge of ocular allergies among University undergraduate students inZimbabwe is good, whilst significant gaps exist in their knowledge of the forms of ocular allergies. However, students enrolled in science-related programmes had a better understanding of ocular allergies compared to their counterparts. There is a need for health education on ocular allergy.

Background: Uncorrected visual impairment, primarily due to refractive errors, is a persistent public health concern in low- and middle-income countries. In Malawi, national data on the prevalence of visual difficulty and uptake of optical correction remain scarce, hindering targeted health interventions. This study examines the prevalence of self-reported visual difficulties, the uptake of refractive correction, and the sociodemographic determinants of optical correction in Malawi using 2024 national survey data. Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the 2024 Malawi Demographic and Health Survey (MDHS), a nationally representative, cross-sectional survey encompassing 23,095 participants across urban and rural regions. Self-reported visual difficulties and optical correction (spectacle/contact lens use) were assessed alongside key sociodemographic factors. Associations were examined using chi-square tests and multinomial logistic regression. Results: Among 23,095 participants, visual difficulty was significantly associated with age, education, marital status, region, and residence (all p < 0.001). The prevalence of visual difficulty increased markedly with age, from 2.3% in the youngest group to 15.5% in those over 74 years. Women, individuals with lower education, widowed participants, and residents of the Northern region experienced higher rates of visual difficulty. Spectacle or contact lens use was low overall (6.4%), with uptake increasing with age, education, and urban residence but remaining below 20% even among the most educated. Most individuals reporting visual difficulty were not using optical correction, including 70% of those with “some difficulty” and 67% of those with “a lot of difficulty” indicating substantial unmet need. Multivariable analysis identified advancing age, higher education, urban residence, and Northern region as key independent predictors of both visual difficulty and refractive correction uptake. Conclusions: The unmet need for refractive correction in Malawi is substantial, disproportionately affecting older, less educated, rural, and widowed individuals. Expanding access to affordable and equitable refractive services is essential to reducing avoidable visual impairment and addressing social and geographic health disparities.

Introduction: Many eye diseases are asymptomatic in their early stages; thus, timely detection is essential for improved outcomes. Dynamic visual acuity (DVA)—the ability to perceive moving targets—has been reported as a valuable screening tool for early disease detection. However, unlike static visual acuity, DVA is not routinely assessed in the eye clinic, perhaps due to a lack of standardised measurement protocols and limited understanding among clinicians of its physiological and diagnostic relevance. This scoping review aims to assess the evidence on DVA; provide insight into its physiological basis, measurement techniques and potential for early detection of disease; and identify research gaps to inspire future studies. Methods and analysis: The review will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and will involve all relevant articles, including reviews and original studies published in online databases such as PubMed, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, Global Health and ScienceDirect. Also, a reference list of relevant articles will be searched, and insight from expert consultations and information from grey literature will be included in the review. Studies conducted with human subjects and in English, irrespective of the year of publication or study design, will be reviewed. Two independent reviewers will screen identified articles, with a third reviewer confirming findings. The data extraction tool will be tested in a pilot review, and the findings will be presented using tables and visual summaries. Ethics and dissemination: No ethical approval is required. Findings will be presented at national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.