Abstract:

Background: Cataract is the leading of blindness in the world according to world health organization age related cataract is responsible for 48% of blindness is the world and that is about 18 million people and about 90% of people with visual deficit are living in developing countries because they don’t have easy access to surgical treatment.

Objective: To determine the prevalence, severity, and demographics pattern of cataract among people living in rural Tabora.

Methods: The study was cross sectional descriptive study, at Tabora and the population according to 2010 was 1,717,908 people and target group was people above 5 years, sample size was calculated using the ksh and leslei formula and was found to be 304 and study material used were questioner snell chat, ophamoloscopy, retinalscope, A scan for visual accurity, data were collected using scientifically tested questioner, cataract was diagnosed using both opthamoloscopy and retinascope and visual acuity was taken by snell chat and Asc an all those who were found to have cataract were scheduled for cataract surgery on their informed consert pre operation they were discharged home with the medication and these data were analysed using SPSS.

Results: Among 304 people screened 61% were female and 39% were males, the prevalence of cataract was found to be 17% and of these 66% were female and 34% males mean age of occurrence of cataract was between 55-75 which were 51% of all patients, no cataract was found below 30 years unlike other studies we didn’t find any congenital cataracts and 32% of patient were more than 76 years old and most them were peasant 83% and 91% had primary education, both eyes were effected mostly with 57% of all patients had bilateral cataract while 28% had left eye and 15% had right eye cataract, 58% of all patient had the knowledge on surgical treatment of cataract and just 48% did not know, the type of cataract which was mostly diagnosed in Tabora was immature cataract with 40% of all patient followed by 32% with senile cataract and 26% had mature cataract and most of patient had visual acuity between 6/60-CFN which was 43% followed by 30% who had 6/18 to 6/36 and 19% had HM-NPL and just 8% had almost normal vision.

Conclusion: The prevalence of cataract was higher 17% as compared to similar studies done in Tanzania, unexpected a greater number of patient knew the surgical intervention of cataract however majority of them had a very severe visual acuity leading to the conclution that accessing these patients at their areas is the best was to give them the medical support they need and to reduce the blindness in these area as most of them where legally blind at the time of intervention.