Economic burden of blindness in India

Shamanna, B. R. ; Dandona, L. ; Rao, G. N. (1998) Economic burden of blindness in India Indian Journal of Opthamology, 46 (3). pp. 169-172. ISSN 0301-4738

Full text not available from this repository.

Official URL: http://www.ijo.in/article.asp?issn=0301-4738;year=...

Abstract

Economic analysis is one way to determine the allocation of scarce resources for health-care programs. The initial step in this process is to estimate in economic terms the burden of diseases and the benefit from interventions for prevention and treatment of these diseases. In this paper, the direct and indirect economic loss due to blindness in India is calculated on the basis of certain assumptions. The cost of treating cataract blindness in India is estimated at current prices. The economic burden of blindness in India for the year 1997 based on our assumptions is Rs. 159 billion (US$ 4.4 billion), and the cumulative loss over lifetime of the blind is Rs. 2,787 billion (US$ 77.4 billion). Childhood blindness accounts for 28.7% of this lifetime loss. The cost of treating all cases of cataract blindness in India is Rs. 5.3 billion (US$ 0.15 billion). Similar estimates for causes of blindness other than cataract have to be made in order to develop a comprehensive approach to deal with blindness in India.

Item Type:Article
Source:Copyright of this article belongs to All India Ophthalmological Society.
ID Code:25041
Deposited On:01 Dec 2010 12:14
Last Modified:08 Jun 2011 06:38

Repository Staff Only: item control page