An Eight-Year Review of Paediatric Ophthalmic Surgical Services at a Tertiary Eye Centre in Malawi.

IF 1.1 4区医学 Q4 OPHTHALMOLOGY

Klinische Monatsblatter fur Augenheilkunde Pub Date : 2026-07-31 DOI:10.1055/a-2915-2961

Priscilla P Mhango, Lonjezo M Jemi, Vivien Mayer, Shaffi Mdala, Petros Kayange, Thokozani L Zungu, Gerald R Msukwa, Esther Misanjo, Faik Gelisken

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Abstract

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Childhood visual impairment is a significant public health challenge, with prevalence rates in sub-Saharan Africa exceeding those in high-income countries. While surgical intervention is the mainstay of treatment for many blinding paediatric conditions, access to these services is constrained in low-resource settings. We report a comprehensive analysis of demographic and geographic patterns of paediatric ophthalmic surgical services at a tertiary eye centre in Malawi.

Abstract: METHODS: A retrospective analysis of paediatric patients who underwent ophthalmic surgeries at Lions Sight First Eye Unit, Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Southern Malawi, between January 2015 and December 2022 was undertaken. Demographic variables included age group, sex and distance travelled to reach the facility. Descriptive statistics summarised trends, and a chi-square test assessed the association between sex and distance travelled.

Abstract: RESULTS: Of 3,807 identified patient files, 3,263 (85.7%) were eligible for analysis. A male predominance was observed (61.0% male vs 39.0% female), with a mean age of 5.7 (±4.4) years. The majority of children (n = 2783, 85.3%) were from the Southern region. More than half of the patients (52.6%, n = 1717) travelled over 50 km to reach QECH. A statistically significant association was found between sex and distance travelled (χ² = 14.46, p = 0.013). Annual surgical volumes plateaued during the study period.

Abstract: CONCLUSION: Paediatric ophthalmic surgical services in Malawi are concentrated at a single tertiary facility, creating geographic disparities in access. The male predominance in the number of children accessing the surgical services across different paediatric eye diseases highlights the need for gender-sensitive community awareness initiatives to ensure equitable access to surgical eye care for all children. Furthermore, the surgical numbers failing to increase in line with the national population growth can be an indicator of an overwhelmed system. These findings emphasise the urgent need to establish additional specialised centres to overcome these barriers.

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马拉维一家三级眼科中心儿科眼科手术服务的八年回顾。

背景：儿童视力障碍是一项重大的公共卫生挑战，其患病率在撒哈拉以南非洲地区超过高收入国家。虽然手术干预是许多致盲性儿科疾病的主要治疗手段，但在资源匮乏的环境中，获得这些服务受到限制。我们报告在马拉维的一个三级眼科中心儿科眼科手术服务的人口和地理模式的综合分析。摘要：方法：回顾性分析2015年1月至2022年12月在马拉维南部伊丽莎白女王中心医院（QECH）狮子会视力第一眼科病房接受眼科手术的儿科患者。人口统计变量包括年龄组、性别和到达该设施的路程。描述性统计总结了趋势，卡方检验评估了性别和旅行距离之间的关系。摘要：结果：在3807份患者档案中，有3263份（85.7%）符合分析条件。男性居多（男性61.0%，女性39.0%），平均年龄5.7（±4.4）岁。大多数儿童（n = 2783, 85.3%）来自南部地区。超过一半的患者（52.6%,n = 1717）到达QECH的路程超过50公里。性别与出行距离有统计学意义（χ2 = 14.46, p = 0.013）。在研究期间，年手术量趋于稳定。摘要：结论：马拉维的儿科眼科手术服务集中在一个单一的三级设施，造成地理上的差异。在接受不同儿科眼病手术治疗的儿童中，男性占多数，这突出表明需要采取对性别问题有敏感认识的社区宣传举措，以确保所有儿童公平获得眼科手术治疗。此外，外科手术数量未能与全国人口增长保持一致，可能是系统不堪重负的一个指标。这些发现强调迫切需要建立更多的专门中心来克服这些障碍。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Klinische Monatsblatter fur Augenheilkunde 医学-眼科学

CiteScore

1.30

自引率

0.00%

发文量

235

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

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