Cataract Surgery Outcomes, Coverage, and Barriers in Tribal Areas of Gujarat and Maharashtra: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

This study was done to estimate cataract surgery outcomes, surgical coverage and Barriers to availing surgery in rural/tribal areas of south Gujarat and Maharashtra. In districts of Gujarat and Maharashtra, where most of the population is tribal, door-to-door surveys have been conducted with standardized, validated questionnaires that collected data on cataract surgery outcomes, coverage, and barriers to acceptance. Visual impairment, surgical coverage, surgical details of age at surgery, cost, type, place, causes of low outcome post-surgery and satisfaction level with surgery were assessed. Out of 4,850 adults aged ≥ 50 years, 66.4% of all grades of visual impairment are due to cataracts, out of which 44.8% faced some barrier in accessing surgical intervention. This study further delves into assessment of cataract surgery outcomes in tribal areas, including visual acuity improvement, postoperative complications and patient satisfaction. Analyzing the coverage of surgery involves factors such as the availability of surgical facilities quality of facilities along with place, type and cost of surgery will be explored to understand the extent of coverage. This study is useful in health policy planning for cataract blindness and improvement in availability of surgical services to tribal populations to improve targeted healthcare development, community engagement and policy adjustments to foster more inclusive and equitable healthcare system ultimately.

Keywords: Cataract, Tribal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, India.