Prevalence rates and numbers of persons newly recognized as having a disability due to eye disease or injury (2019-2024) in Ukraine
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31288/Ukr.j.ophthalmol.202617784Keywords:
disability, eye disease, eye injury, military conflictAbstract
Purpose: To examine the dynamics of the prevalence rates and numbers of persons recognized as having a disability due to eye disease and eye injury among adult population and working-age population of Ukraine and their features under conditions of martial law.
Methods: This was a single-center, cohort study. Prevalence rates and numbers of persons newly recognized as having a disability in Ukraine were retrospectively assessed on the basis of 2019-2024 reports by regional medical and social expertise (MSE) centers. Medical and social expert cases of 831 patients for the year 2024 were prospectively reviewed in detail. Temporal changes in prevalence rates and numbers of persons newly recognized as having a disability among adult population and working-age population were assessed.
Results: In Ukraine, the total number of persons newly recognized as having a vision disability in 2019 was 4043, which corresponded to an annual prevalence of 1.3 per 10,000 adults. During 2019-2021, the annual prevalence tended to decrease, and was 1.0 per 10,000 adults in 2020 and 1.2 per 10,000 adults in 2021 (the number of adults newly recognized as having a vision disability was 3578). With the beginning the full-scale war, the parameter increased to 3.0 per 10,000 adults in 2023 and 2024. In Ukraine, the total number of adults newly recognized as having a vision disability due to eye injury was 524 (with an annual prevalence of 0.2 per 10,000 adults) in 2019. During 2019-2021, this parameter tended to decrease, and was 1.0 per 10,000 adults in 2020 and 1.2 per 10,000 adults in 2021. However, the total number of adults newly recognized as having a disability due to eye injury increased to 928 (0.3 per 10,000 adults) in 2023 and 831 (0.3 per 10,000 adults) in 2024.
Conclusion: The proportion of persons recognized as having a disability due to eye injury was 12% during pre-war years (2019-2021), and decreased to 10.6% in 2022, 9.4% in 2023 and 10.1% in 2024. It is, however, important that the number of persons recognized as having a disability due to eye injury increased 2.2-fold from 380 in 2021 to 831 in 2024.
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