Research and Monitoring Programme
The Research and Monitoring
Department (RMD) was reinstated at
NNJS, Central Office, Kathmandu in
2005. The main objective of the RMD
is to establish a quality assurance
system in eye care services rendered
under NNJS through monitoring
and research in eye health. In 2007,
the RMD carried out the following
activities.
Upgrading of Medical
Recording System:
 Grand Ma! what happened to the right glass of your specs?
Population Based Survey
conduction in Lumbini
and Narayani Zone
The RMD developed research
protocols to carry out the
population based blindness survey
in Lumbini and Narayani Zones.
The objective of the survey was
to estimate the prevalence of
blindness with a strong focus on
the cataract to find out the cataract
surgical coverage and its outcome,
identify the barriers to uptake of
the cataract surgeries, and evaluate
the impact of current eye care
programs
The RMD was directly involved to
carry out the survey in Rautahat
Districts of Narayani zone, and
only supervision and guidance was
provided to the Lumbini survey.
The data collection and analysis of
both surveys have been completed
and the preparation of draft report
is in progress.
RAAB Survey Protocol Slit-lamp Biomicroscopy being performed during RAAB survey
We are still using the same
data from the 1981 survey due
to unavaibility of fresh data for
blindness and visual impairment in
country. Conducting similar type of
nation wide sample survey is too
expensive and resource oriented.
Since the blindness programmehas been adopted in geographical
sector wise approach, such survey
will only provide the national
average and sample size is often
not adequate to generalize it in
certain defined geographical area.
Therefore, NNJS decided to carry
out the survey in regional basis
based on the targeted areas of
one specific eye care program/
hospital. The Rapid Assessment of
Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) survey
is considered as quicker and less
expensive than population based
survey and provides adequate
information required to evaluate
ongoing eye care programme and
to assess the magnitude of current
eye problems in the defined area.
All the RAAB Survey results can be
sumed up to get the national data.
This year we prepared the protocol
proposal and submitted to different
national and international potential
donors for financial support
for the survey. The DLBC, The
Netherlands, has been approached
to obtain support to conductthe survey in Mahakali, Seti and
Karnali Zones, the Swiss Red Cross
for Bheri Zone, GoN for Rapti,
Dhaulagiri and Mechi Zones, CBM,
Germany for Sagarmatha and Koshi
Zones. Probably in 2009, most of
these surveys will be conducted and
by 2010 -2011 we will have fresh
data in Nepal on blindness and
visual impairment that will be crucial
for the strategic planning of eye
care service of Nepal.
Research Protocol Visual acuity testing of selected studysubject in Karnali while they areout to graze their horses
The RMD carried out a prevalence
survey of visual impairment in
school going children based on
WHO approved scientific protocol.
The study found out that the
visual impairment due to refractive
error, especially Myopia, was
found to be significantly higher in
urban children compared to rural
has been adopted in geographical
sector wise approach, such survey
will only provide the national
average and sample size is often
not adequate to generalize it in
certain defined geographical area.
Therefore, NNJS decided to carry
out the survey in regional basis
based on the targeted areas of
one specific eye care program/
hospital. The Rapid Assessment of
Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) survey
is considered as quicker and less
expensive than population based
survey and provides adequate
information required to evaluate
ongoing eye care programme and
to assess the magnitude of current
eye problems in the defined area.
All the RAAB Survey results can be
sumed up to get the national data.
This year we prepared the protocol
proposal and submitted to different
national and international potential
donors for financial support
for the survey. The DLBC, The
Netherlands, has been approached
to obtain support to conduct
children of Nepal. The similar
result was also found in other
multi-country survey conducted by
WHO and respective countries.
The Nepal study is published in
Ophthalmic Epidemiology: (2008):
as "The Prevalence of Visual
Impairment in School Children
of Upper-Middle Socioeconomic
Status in Kathmandu", Ophthalmic
Epidemiology, 15:1, 17 - 23.
The magnitude of this problem has
been found in increasing trend in
children of urban and upper socio
economic status. Therefore, it was
thought relevant to find out the
associated and risk factor for this
problem. The RMD prepared the
protocol based on previous studies
conducted in Nepal and approached
WHO Geneva for financial and
technical support. This multi country
study will be carried out as "Myopia
Risk factor Study". WHO Geneva
has already approved to provide
financial and technical support for all
these studies.
Presbyopia occurs in elderly
population that causes difficulty to
see the near objects clearly without
using the reading glasses. This
problem can easily be corrected
with a pair of reading glasses.
But uncorrected presbyopia has
substantial impact on social and
economic life of elderly population.
Many people are unaware of it
and living under the myth that this
is a natural unavoidable process.
Therefore, it was thought that
relevant information on presbyopia
will help to plan the future eye care
programme to address this problem
as well specially if we have data on its prevalence and it's impact
on socio-economy and quality of
life in Nepalese population. The
protocol for this study has been
prepared and WHO Geneva has
been approached for financial and
technical support for carrying out
this study during 2008-2009.
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