Jonga Trust was requested by the Department of Health and the University of Cape Town, Department of Ophthalmology, to assist with the data collection and surveying for the Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) study which was completed in November 2010. The gathered data is presently being analysed by the principle researchers, epidemiologist and statistician for publication in 2011.
The study aims were:
- To establish the percentage of avoidable blindness in the Cape Metropole with population of 4.8 million, of which 3.8 million are indigent.
- A grid spaced random sample of 3,000 subjects were surveyed and tested across privileged and underprivileged communities in the Cape Metropole.
- To establish what percentage of undiagnosed diabetics could be in the population through random blood glucose testing.
- To establish if an ophthalmologist using a direct ophthalmoscope sees what is seen on an image taken with a retinal screening camera.
- The community based eye workers were allocated to assist the ophthalmologists in their communities by doing vision testing which they do on a day to day basis and blood glucose monitoring in which they were trained by a Jonga Trust Trainer.
- This study was required as there is no South African data available for future planning of eye care services.
