Prevalence and Causes of Visual Impairment and Blindness in Ghana: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Purpose: To determine the prevalence and causes of visual impairment (VI) and blindness in Ghana. 

Method: A systematic review of studies reporting the prevalence of VI and blindness in Ghana was performed after perusal of three electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Data were extracted and study-specific estimates were combined using meta-analysis to obtain pooled proportions. 

Results: A total of 13 studies comprising 27,920 individuals (aged ≥6 years) were included; blindness was assessed in 24,345 individuals. The pooled prevalence of VI in Ghana was 5.79% (95% CI 3.25% to 10.12%; 95% PI 0.51 to 42.40%; I² = 98.9). VI prevalence was higher in rural than urban settings and higher among women and older adults. Refractive errors were the leading cause of VI, accounting for 2.00% of all VI cases (95% CI 0.98% to 4.06%; I² = 91.7). The pooled prevalence of blindness was 0.25% (95% CI 0.04% to 1.43%; 95% PI 0.00 to 49.77%; I² = 93.3), with cataracts the most common cause of blindness (0.79% of blindness cases; 95% CI 0.39% to 1.57%; I² = 95.3). Meta-regression found no significant effects of publication year or sample size; sensitivity analyses showed pooled estimates were robust to single-study exclusion. 

Conclusion: VI and blindness are prevalent in Ghana. The high burden, particularly in rural areas, older adults, and women, underscores the need for strengthened primary eye care, expanded cataract surgical services, and targeted interventions to reduce avoidable vision loss in Ghana. Strengthening primary eye care and targeted outreach are essential for reducing avoidable vision loss.