Abstract

The study aimed to determine the prevalence of blindness at Hoima Regional Referral
Hospital in Western Uganda, focusing on socio-economic factors and infrastructural-related
factors. A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted, recruiting 300 participants
using a structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed using STATA version 14.0 and
bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions. The mean age of the participants was 45.09
years, with a median age of 41 years. The prevalence of blindness was 4% (12/300), with
socio-economic factors being age over 65, illiteracy, and monthly income below 500,000.
Infrastructural-related factors included a history of cataract, having no eye treatment
center near the home, and eye trauma. The study found that the prevalence of blindness at
Hoima Regional Referral Hospital is higher than the national prevalence in Uganda. Health
policymakers and advocates should develop programs to regularly screen and monitor eye
health indicators to prevent blindness and improve eye health, ultimately reducing the
prevalence of blindness