Blindness in Australian Aborigines

The early findings of the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program show that the blindness rate for Australian Aborigines living in Central Australia is eighteen per thousand. Most blindness occurs in those over sixty years of age, when one in four Aborigines is blind. The commonest cause of blindness is senile cataract. Ocular trauma, corneal opacities and Labrador keratopathy are seen commonly, as is Trachomatous blindness. Pseudo-exfoliation is a frequent finding, but is not often associated with glaucoma.