Browsing by Subject "blindness"

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    CREDO UT INTELLIGAM: Irony in John 9
    (New Testament Society of Southern Africa, 2014) England, Frank
    Many commentators read John 9, inclusive of verses 38 and 39a, within the frame of baptism, and some commentators read this passage, exclusive of verses 38 and 39a, within the same frame. Examining John 9 through a baptismal optic, this article proposes that the "corrective additions" of verses 38 and 39a to the early manuscripts of John 9, inter alia, p75 and א*, envisage readers and auditors that, ultimately, may remain as blind as the man born blind, and yet whose physical sight is restored by Jesus. It is argued that the presence of John 9:38, in particular, fails to foreground the concomitant requirement of the baptismal ritual, namely, the confession of faith in Jesus, and, as a result, actually dissipates the focus upon baptism. It is asked whether, unable to read or hear ironically, the "scribal correctors" have not suppressed, rather than highlighted, precisely what is essential to discipleship.
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    Key informants for peadiatric eye disease case finding in Madagascar
    (2019) Chimeziri, Anderson; Courtright, Paul; Cook, Colin
    As at 2014, 19 million children aged < 16 years were visually impaired, 1.4 million of these children were blind and needed visual rehabilitation interventions. Surveys, mostly utilizing key informants (KI), have suggested that the prevalence of blindness in children in Sub Saharan Africa ranges between 2 -8 per 10,000 children. Childhood eye disease is rare and conditions are difficult to detect; thus, surveys to estimate the prevalence of blindness requires rigorous, costly and difficult methods to obtain reasonable estimates among children. Key informant programs, which engage the community in case finding, have been shown to be a reasonable alternative to large scale surveys and were used in Madagascar in 2014 by four regional eye care programmes. I propose to analyse the data generated from the programmes to quantify the prevalence of eye conditions among children and how the KIs performed. Method: The analysis will use data collected in a cross sectional approach. Statistical analysis will be conducted using Stata (15.0) statistical software. Data from all of the KI registers will be pooled and overall magnitude estimates calculated. KI productivity and sub-group analyses will include assessment of demographic characteristics of the children and the KI by age and sex. Ethical approval will be provided by the UCT Health Research and Ethics Committee and the Madagascar Ministry of Health. Discussion: The results from this study will help child eye health programmes to determine how best to use KI to better serve children with vision loss, and guide in the provision of eye services for children care.
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    Skills of general health workers in primary eye care in Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2014) Kalua, Khumbo; Gichangi, Michael; Barassa, Ernest; Eliah, Edson; Lewallen, Susan; Courtright, Paul
    BACKGROUND:Primary eye care (PEC) in sub-Saharan Africa usually means the diagnosis, treatment, and referral of eye conditions at the most basic level of the health system by primary health care workers (PHCWs), who receive minimal training in eye care as part of their curricula. We undertook this study with the aim to evaluate basic PEC knowledge and ophthalmologic skills of PHCWs, as well as the factors associated with these in selected districts in Kenya, Malawi, and Tanzania. METHODS: A standardized (26 items) questionnaire was administered to PHCWs in all primary health care (PHC) facilities of 2 districts in each country. Demographic information was collected and an examination aimed to measure competency in 5 key areas (recognition and management of advanced cataract, conjunctivitis, presbyopia, and severe trauma plus demonstrated ability to measure visual acuity) was administered. RESULTS: Three-hundred-forty-three PHCWs were enrolled (100, 107, and 136 in Tanzania, Kenya, and Malawi, respectively). The competency scores of PHCW varied by area, with 55.7%, 61.2%, 31.2%, and 66.1% scoring at the competency level in advanced cataract, conjunctivitis, presbyopia, and trauma, respectively. Only 8.2% could measure visual acuity. Combining all scores, only 9 (2.6%) demonstrated competence in all areas. CONCLUSION: The current skills of health workers in PEC are low, with a large per cent below the basic competency level. There is an urgent need to reconsider the expectations of PEC and the content of training.