RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Estimated number of ophthalmologists worldwide (International Council of Ophthalmology update): will we meet the needs?
JF British Journal of Ophthalmology
JO Br J Ophthalmol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
SP 588
OP 592
DO 10.1136/bjophthalmol-2019-314336
VO 104
IS 4
A1 Serge Resnikoff
A1 Van Charles Lansingh
A1 Lindsey Washburn
A1 William Felch
A1 Tina-Marie Gauthier
A1 Hugh R Taylor
A1 Kristen Eckert
A1 David Parke
A1 Peter Wiedemann
YR 2020
UL http://bjo.bmj.com/content/104/4/588.abstract
AB Background/aims To estimate 2015 global ophthalmologist data and analyse their relationship to income groups, prevalence rates of blindness and visual impairment and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita.Methods Online surveys were emailed to presidents/chairpersons of national societies of ophthalmology and Ministry of Health representatives from all 194 countries to capture the number and density (per million population) of ophthalmologists, the number/density performing cataract surgery and refraction, and annual ophthalmologist population growth trends. Correlations between these data and income group, GDP per capita and prevalence rates of blindness and visual impairment were analysed.Results In 2015, there were an estimated 232 866 ophthalmologists in 194 countries. Income was positively associated with ophthalmologist density (a mean 3.7 per million population in low-income countries vs a mean 76.2 in high-income countries). Most countries reported positive growth (94/156; 60.3%). There was a weak, inverse correlation between the prevalence of blindness and the ophthalmologist density. There were weak, positive correlations between the density of ophthalmologists performing cataract surgery and GDP per capita and the prevalence of blindness, as well as between GDP per capita and the density of ophthalmologists doing refractions.Conclusions Although the estimated global ophthalmologist workforce appears to be growing, the appropriate distribution of the eye care workforce and the development of comprehensive eye care delivery systems are needed to ensure that eye care needs are universally met.