Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39901209›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Improvement in the effective cataract surgical coverage in Malaysia: evidence of impact from a mobile cataract outreach program.

Mohamad Aziz Salowi, Nyi Nyi Naing, Norasyikin Mustafa, Wan Radziah Wan Nawang, Siti Nurhuda Sharudin, Mohd Aziz Husni

Abstract read
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Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Mohamad Aziz SalowiClinical Research Centre, National Institute of Health, Ministry of Health, Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.
Nyi Nyi NaingFaculty of Medicine, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin, Medical Campus, Jalan Sultan Mahmud, Kuala Terengganu, 20400, Terengganu, Malaysia. syedhatim@unisza.edu.my.
Norasyikin MustafaFaculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia.
Wan Radziah Wan NawangDepartment of Ophthalmology, Selayang Hospital, Ministry of Health, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia.
Siti Nurhuda SharudinDepartment of Ophthalmology, Selayang Hospital, Ministry of Health, Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia.
Mohd Aziz HusniDepartment of Ophthalmology, Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital, Ministry of Health, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia.

Funding

National Institute of Health (NIH), Ministry of Health (MOH), Malaysia 91000984
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEffective Cataract Surgical Coverage (eCSC) is one of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) indicators recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). It is calculated from a population survey and measures access and quality of eye care services in the community. We conducted simultaneous population-based eye surveys in two regions in Malaysia in 2023 to estimate eCSC and compare the results with the survey in 2014 following the implementation of a mobile cataract program.

methodsThe surveys were simultaneously done in Eastern and Sarawak administrative regions using the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) technique. It involved a multistage cluster sampling method, each cluster comprising 50 residents aged 50 years and older. Presenting visual acuity (PVA) was checked, and subjects with cataracts were identified. The corrected VA (Pinhole) of those who had undergone cataract surgery was measured. eCSC was calculated at all levels of cataract surgical thresholds according to the protocol. The findings were compared with the previous survey.

resultsA total of 10,184 subjects were enumerated, with 9,709 examined and 475 non-respondents. Females had a significantly lower Cataract Surgical Coverage (CSC) than males for cataract surgical threshold of < 3/60 for both regions in National Eye Survey (NES) II in 2014, [Eastern female 82.0%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) (72.5, 91.5) vs. male 97.8%, 95% CI (92.8, 100.0), Sarawak female 76.9%, 95% CI (66.4, 87.3) vs. male 96.4%, 95% CI (91.6, 100.0)]. However, there was no significant gender difference in eCSC. Comparing NES II (2014) and NES III (2023) at various levels of cataract surgical threshold, eCSC improved within the range of 13.8-19.2% and 18.6-23.8% for Eastern and Sarawak, respectively.

conclusionThe improvement in eCSC could likely be attributed to both quality outcome enhancement and increased coverage, possibly due to the impact of the mobile cataract services in both regions. However, a coordinated approach is necessary to further strengthen and expand the coverage of the program to enable the country to achieve the 30% increase in eCSC as targeted by WHO.

Indexed as

CataractCataract ExtractionCommunity-Institutional RelationsMobile Health UnitsAgedFemaleHealth Services AccessibilityHumansMalaysiaMaleMiddle AgedProgram EvaluationCataracteCSCRAAB

Identifiers

PMID39901209
PMCPMC11792256

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