Abstract
In 2020 in Central America, there was an estimated total of 34 million people with vision impairment and 1.3 million of those were blind. Most studies about blindness and vision health generally focus on the Latin American region, yet there has not been a lot of data that targets explicitly the Central American region. Bad vision health is directly linked to poverty since it affects one’s ability to work, self-provide, and contribute to society. This research paper aims to provide cohesive information, including population-based statistics, on the vision health situation in Central America and raise awareness about this problem, in hopes that more effort will be done to improve the health care system in this area in the future. This paper presents statistical data and other information from previous studies, surveys, and reports to form a comprehensive baseline for further research and educational programs. Leading causes for visual loss include cataracts, refractive errors, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Most cases of blindness and visual impairment were either preventable or treatable. The leading cause of blindness is cataracts, and Central America is more prevalent to blindness due to its high rate of poverty, low levels of education and public awareness, and severe social barriers. To overcome these obstacles, it is necessary to increase public awareness and provide access to affordable, adequate healthcare services. The governments of Central American countries and international organizations are making efforts to improve eye care access, especially for those living in rural areas.
This annotated bibliography is a list of some of the most significant research sources that are used in the paper for the Library Research Scholars program about access to eye health in Central America. These sources have helped shape the scope of the project and provided statistical data for different countries in Central America.