Trachoma, Anti-Pgp3 Serology, and Ocular Chlamydia trachomatis Infection in Papua New Guinea.

BACKGROUND: In Melanesia, the prevalence of trachomatous inflammation-follicular (TF) suggests that public health-level interventions against active trachoma are needed. However, the prevalence of trachomatous trichiasis is below the threshold for elimination as a public health problem and evidence of conjunctival infection with trachoma's causative organism (Chlamydia trachomatis [CT]) is rare. Here, we examine the prevalence of ocular infection with CT and previous exposure to CT in three evaluation units (EUs) of Papua New Guinea. METHODS: All individuals aged 1-9 years who were examined for clinical signs of trachoma in 3 Global Trachoma Mapping Project EUs were eligible to take part in this study (N = 3181). Conjunctival swabs were collected from 349 children with TF and tested by polymerase chain reaction to assess for ocular CT infection. Dried blood spots were collected from 2572 children and tested for anti-Pgp3 antibodies using a multiplex assay. RESULTS: The proportion of children with TF who had CT infection was low across all 3 EUs (overall 2%). Anti-Pgp3 seroprevalence was 5.2% overall and there was no association between anti-Pgp3 antibody level and presence of TF. In 2 EUs, age-specific seroprevalence did not increase significantly with increasing age in the 1- to 9-year-old population. In the third EU, there was a statistically significant change with age but the overall seroprevalence and peak age-specific seroprevalence was very low. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these results, together with similar findings from the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, the use of TF to guide antibiotic mass drug administration decisions in Melanesia should be reviewed.

Highlights from the 2019 International Myopia Summit on 'controversies in myopia'.

Myopia is an emerging public health issue with potentially significant economic and social impact, especially in East Asia. However, many uncertainties about myopia and its clinical management remain. The International Myopia Summit workgroup was convened by the Singapore Eye Research Institute, the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness in 2019. The aim of this workgroup was to summarise available evidence, identify gaps or unmet needs and provide consensus on future directions for clinical research in myopia. In this review, among the many 'controversies in myopia' discussed, we highlight three main areas of consensus. First, development of interventions for the prevention of axial elongation and pathologic myopia is needed, which may require a multifaceted approach targeting the Bruch's membrane, choroid and/or sclera. Second, clinical myopia management requires co-operation between optometrists and ophthalmologists to provide patients with holistic care and a tailored approach that balances risks and benefits of treatment by using optical and pharmacological interventions. Third, current diagnostic technologies to detect myopic complications may be improved through collaboration between clinicians, researchers and industry. There is an unmet need to develop new imaging modalities for both structural and functional analyses and to establish normative databases for myopic eyes. In conclusion, the workgroup's call to action advocated for a paradigm shift towards a collaborative approach in the holistic clinical management of myopia.

Review: Myopia control strategies recommendations from the 2018 WHO/IAPB/BHVI Meeting on Myopia.

Myopia is a major public health problem, particularly in East Asia. In this summary report, we present key findings and recommendations on strategies for myopia control discussed during the meeting jointly organised by the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and the Brien Holden Vision Institute. First, myopia prevalence was reported to be increasing, with up to 80% of junior school students with myopia in East Asia. However, common challenges in implementing myopia control strategies on a national level included lack of school screening programme, and paucity of accurate prevalence data. Second, there continues to be broad public misconception about myopia and myopia control, including lack of parental awareness and resistance to wearing spectacles. Third, best practices for myopia management were shared, and recommendations for policy implementation are presented in this review. Key recommendations from this meeting include increased public education to raise parent and teacher awareness; encouragement of increased outdoor time of 2-3 hours per day for schoolchildren-as a practical public health intervention that has been shown to potentially reduce onset and progression of myopia. Governments and non-governmental organisations are encouraged to collaborate, especially education and health ministries to develop national myopia prevention programme. Lastly, it is important to emphasise that the key recommendations, such as increasing outdoor time for schoolchildren, are specific for East Asian nations in the Western Pacific region and may not be entirely applicable for Western nations.

3-D printed spectacles: potential, challenges and the future.

Three-dimensional (3-D) printing offers the potential to custom-produce a wide range of manufactured objects and improve manufacturing processes. The additive manufacturing process involves material (resin, metal, ceramics or biological cells) being deposited layer upon layer, which is fused to create a 3-D object. While 3-D printing has been readily available in the aerospace and automotive industries, and is being used increasingly in the medical field, its potential for optometry and ophthalmic optics has rarely been discussed in depth. 3-D printing of spectacles has the potential to provide customised experiences, to cater for those who do not fit standardised frames or for those with irregular prescriptions, and to reduce delivery times and inventory with the opportunity of increasing access to underserved populations. Here we review available 3-D printing technologies, and the current 3-D printed spectacle market, including testing three commercially available spectacle frames to assess compliance with ISO:12870 standards. The article then explores the challenges faced and environmental impact of implementing 3-D printing of spectacles.

Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness in Papua New Guinea: a nationwide survey.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and main causes of blindness and vision impairment in people aged 50 years and older in Papua New Guinea (PNG). DESIGN: National cross-sectional population-based survey in National Capital District (NCD), Highlands, Coastal and Islands regions. METHODS: Adults aged 50 years and above were recruited from 100 randomly selected clusters. Each participant underwent monocular presenting and pinhole visual acuity (VA) assessment and lens examination. Those with pinhole VA<6/12 in either eye had a dilated fundus examination to determine the primary cause of reduced vision. Those with obvious lens opacity were interviewed on barriers to cataract surgery. RESULTS: A total of 4818 adults were examined. The age-adjusted and sex-adjusted prevalence of blindness (VA <3/60), severe vision impairment (SVI, VA <6/60 but ≥3/60), moderate vision impairment (MVI, VA <6/18 but ≥6/60) and early vision impairment (EVI, VA <6/12 but ≥6/18) was 5.6% (95% CI 4.9% to 6.3%), 2.9% (95% CI 2.5% to 3.4%), 10.9% (95% CI 9.9% to 11.9%) and 7.3% (95% CI 6.6% to 8.0%), respectively. The main cause of blindness, SVI and MVI was cataract, while uncorrected refractive error was the main cause of EVI. A significantly higher prevalence of blindness, SVI and MVI occurred in the Highlands compared with NCD. Across all regions, women had lower cataract surgical coverage and spectacle coverage than men. CONCLUSIONS: PNG has one of the highest reported prevalence of blindness globally. Cataract and uncorrected refractive error are the main causes, suggesting a need for increased accessible services with improved resources and advocacy for enhancing eye health literacy.

Rapid assessment of avoidable blindness and diabetic retinopathy in people aged 50 years and older in the National Capital District of Papua New Guinea.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To conduct an assessment of avoidable blindness, diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in adults aged 50 years and older in the National Capital District (NCD) region of Papua New Guinea (PNG). METHODS: A cross-sectional population-based survey was performed for which 25 clusters of 50 people aged ≥50 years were randomly selected from the NCD region. The standardised rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) with diabetic retinopathy (+DR) methodology was used. Blindness was defined as presenting visual acuity <3/60 in the better eye. Participants were classified as having diabetes if they were known to have diabetes or if their random blood glucose level was ≥200 mg/dL. Dilated fundus examination and Scottish DR grading were performed. RESULTS: In total, 1192 out of 1250 eligible participants (95.4%) were examined. Of these, 7.8% had known or newly diagnosed diabetes. Seventy-one per cent of participants with known diabetes had a blood glucose level ≥200 mg/dL, and 82.9% had never had an ophthalmological examination for DR. Prevalence of DR and/or maculopathy was 46.4%. The age-adjusted and sex-adjusted prevalence of diabetes was estimated at 8.1% (95% CI 5.7% to 10.4%) in the population aged 50 years or older in the NCD region of PNG. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 50 years and older was lower than reported elsewhere in the region, and lower than other RAAB+DR surveys. Despite this, the prevalence of DR is high compared with other RAAB+DR surveys and demonstrates the need for increased awareness and accessibility to eye services for people with diabetes.

Population-Based Trachoma Mapping in Six Evaluation Units of Papua New Guinea.

PURPOSE: We sought to determine the prevalence of trachomatous inflammation - follicular (TF) in children aged 1-9 years, and trachomatous trichiasis (TT) in those aged ≥15 years, in suspected trachoma-endemic areas of Papua New Guinea (PNG). METHODS: We carried out six population-based prevalence surveys using the protocol developed as part of the Global Trachoma Mapping Project. RESULTS: A total of 19,013 individuals were sampled for inclusion, with 15,641 (82.3%) consenting to participate. Four evaluation units had prevalences of TF in children ≥10%, above which threshold the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends mass drug administration (MDA) of azithromycin for at least three years; Western Province (South Fly/Daru) 11.2% (95% confidence interval, CI, 6.9-17.0%), Southern Highlands (East) 12.2% (95% CI 9.6-15.0%), Southern Highlands (West) 11.7% (95% CI 8.5-15.3%), and West New Britain 11.4% (95% CI 8.7-13.9%). TF prevalence was 5.0-9.9% in Madang (9.4%, 95% CI 6.1-13.0%) and National Capital District (6.0%. 95% CI 3.2-9.1%) where consideration of a single round of MDA is warranted. Cases of TT were not found outside West New Britain, in which four cases were seen, generating an estimated population-level prevalence of TT in adults of 0.10% (95% CI 0.00-0.40%) for West New Britain, below the WHO elimination threshold of 0.2% of those aged ≥15 years. CONCLUSION: Trachoma is a public health issue in PNG. However, other than in West New Britain, there are few data to support the idea that trachoma is a cause of blindness in PNG. Further research is needed to understand the stimulus for the active trachoma phenotype in these populations.