P3.I164: Visual health screening program in remote communities

Background: Screening programs enable health conditions to be identified so that effective interventions can be offered. The aim of vision screening in children is to prevent, or to identify early, negative outcomes of visual pathology. Impaired vision has a negative effect on quality of life and restricts equitable access and achievement in education and the workplace. In Argentina, sight disorders are prevalent and affect 15 to 20 % of school-aged children. Early childhood is a crucial period for identifying visual impairment as visual cortex plasticity progressively diminishes after age 2 years. As there are no visual health programs in the areas served by Baylor Argentina, we sought to develop a comprehensive eye care program for children

Methods: The program goal was to establish a comprehensive vision- screening program combining screening, ophthalmologist examination and eyeglasses prescription. The program began in 2018 by first engaging key stakeholders, such as schools, summer camps, local social clubs, local hospital and health centers. We secured resources for logistics, equipment and personnel as our program is founded. The process for the "Vision Screening Program" includes three visits. Children are first screened by pediatrician and those detected with abnormal screening exams are then referred to the ophthalmologist. Finally, eyeglasses are provided to children without medical coverage or children under social surveillance. The program has now expanded from schools to kinder, clubs and health clinics, and screens infants as young as 12 months.

Results: From January 2018 to March 2024, 6298 children between 18 months to 14 years old were screened. We identified 936 children that had visual acuity defects and were referred to the ophthalmologist. Over 530 eyeglasses have been delivered since the program inception. These children are also followed closely to assess for other outcomes.
We were able to expand into other communities and to address and identify challenges due to effective collaboration between stakeholders. We started to measure the impact that the program has on these children’s quality of life and improvements on emotional, social, physical and school functioning.

Conclusion: The prevalence of sight disorders in our communities is consistent with data from Argentina.