ReviewBMJ paediatrics open2026
Community-based paediatric eye care in low- and middle-income countries: bridging the gap between policy and practice.
Review in BMJ paediatrics open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Childhood visual impairment and blindness remain major public health concerns in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), despite a substantial proportion being preventable or treatable. Delayed diagnosis, inadequate access to eye care services, fragmented referral systems, limited awareness and insufficient community-level interventions continue to contribute to the burden. In recent years, the epidemiological profile of paediatric ocular morbidity has shifted from infectious and nutritional causes towards refractive errors, myopia and developmental eye disorders, necessitating stronger community-oriented eye care models. This review examines the burden, determinants, policy frameworks, implementation gaps and future strategies related to community-based paediatric eye care in LMICs, with particular emphasis on bridging the gap between policy and practice. Evidence from global literature, WHO frameworks and national programmes such as India's Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram and National Programme for Control of Blindness and Visual Impairment highlights the importance of integrated life-course approaches involving neonatal, preschool and school-age screening. However, implementation remains constrained by workforce shortages, inadequate infrastructure, poor referral linkage, limited financing and disparities in access to specialised equipment. Community-based strategies including school vision screening, tele-ophthalmology, mobile eye clinics, digital surveillance systems and artificial intelligence-assisted diagnostics demonstrate considerable potential in improving access and continuity of care. Strengthening paediatric eye care in LMICs requires integration with primary healthcare systems, training of non-ophthalmic personnel, sustainable financing mechanisms, effective referral pathways and technology-supported service delivery to reduce avoidable childhood blindness and visual impairment.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.