Research

Amid a paucity of comprehensive coverage on the prevalence of refractive errors in the Nepalese population, this review aimed to systematically analyze available literature on Nepalese refractive error needs. The researchers included 38 studies involving over 101,000 participants, with 18 studies focusing on children and 20 on adults. In children, the pooled prevalence of overall refractive errors was 8.4%, with myopia, hypermetropia, and astigmatism prevalent in 7.1%, 1.0%, and 2.2% of cases, respectively. In adults, the prevalence of refractive errors was 11.2%, with uncorrected refractive errors at 7.3% and uncorrected presbyopia at a strikingly high 78.9%. The study highlights the need for better access to refractive care services in Nepal, given the high prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors and presbyopia. Additionally, the lack of quality evidence on refractive error prevalence, particularly in children, underscores the necessity for well-designed population-based studies to accurately estimate these rates and informs healthcare planning and resource allocation.