Story maps
故事地圖
The right to sight 享有看見的權利
©2012 SpatioEpi.com
Data source: World Health Organization
Map created by CUHK SpatioEpi Group
Cataract is the leading cause of world blindness, even though it can be surgically removed. To raise awareness on preventing visual impairment and restoring sight, World Sight Day is observed on 11th of October this year. This map shows the health burden imposed by cataract by region and cataract surgical rate by country.
As depicted by graduated colours, less than 1000 cataract operations per million population within a calendar year was observed in most sub-Saharan African and Southeast Asian countries. In these regions, the percentage of blindness due to cataract, indicated by blue eye symbols, was also among the highest in the world. On the contrary, low proportion of blindness was caused by cataract in developed world, where mortality is low or cataract surgical rate is high. Both mortality and cataract surgical rate could reflect the delivery of healthcare services, which in turn influences the proportion of blindness due to cataract.
Data for the map were obtained from a report published by World Health Organization in 2007.
縱使能夠經手術根除，白內障仍是全球最主要的致盲原因。今年十月十一日是世界視覺日，希望藉此引起大眾關注如何預防視力受損及恢復視力。地圖顯示各地區因白內障帶來的健康負擔及各國的白內障手術率。
依圖中顏色所示，於東南亞及撒哈拉以南的非洲地區中，大部分國家的年均每百萬人計的白內障手術數目均少於一千。藍色眼睛符號顯示這些地區同時擁有較高比例因白內障致盲的眼疾患者。相反，於低死亡率或高白內障手術率的已發展國家中，因白內障以致失明的眼疾患者數目只佔少數。國家的死亡率及白內障手術率均能反映其醫療服務的供應狀況，從而影響眼疾患者因白內障致盲的比例。
地圖資料源自世界衛生組織於2007年出版的報告。
Related Article
Cataract 白內障
What is cataract? 什麼是白內障？
In normal eye, the lens is clear and transparent so that light from any object can pass through it and form image on the back of the eye. The condition of blurring of images due to a cloudy lens is called cataract.
Cataract is usually asymptomatic at the early stage. As cataract progresses, patient may experience progressive blurring and dimming, glare in bright, fading of colour, frequent change in glasses prescription and double vision in the affected eye.
正常眼睛的晶體是晶瑩通透的，能讓物件發出或反射的光線穿透其中，並令影像清晰聚焦於眼底。若晶體變得渾濁，影像無法清晰聚焦於眼底時，便形成了白內障。
白內障初期的病癥並不明顯，但當病情漸趨嚴重時，患者或會出現以下癥狀：視線逐漸變得模糊及暗淡，遇強光時感到刺眼，影像顏色變暗，眼鏡度數經常轉變及出現複視。
What are the risk factors? 如何導致白內障？
Most cataract cases are related to advanced age. In other cases, cataract may develop after prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light from sunlight, eye injuries, inflammation, diabetes mellitus or some other eye diseases.
大部分白內障均與年紀老邁有關，其他風險因素則包括長時間受太陽的紫外光照射、眼部曾經受創、患上炎症、糖尿病或其他眼疾。
Prevention? Treatment? 如何預防及治療白內障？
There are no effective medications or nutritional supplements for preventing the formation of cataract. Reduced sunlight exposure by wearing sunglasses and proper management of eye and systemic disease may delay or prevent the development of cataract.
Cataract extraction surgery is the most effective treatment. By replacing the opaque lens with an artificial intraocular lens, most cataract patient can restore sight after the operation.
現時並沒有藥物或營養補充劑能有效預防白內障，配戴太陽眼鏡以減少眼睛接觸紫外光及妥善管理眼疾及系統性疾病均可延緩或防止白內障的出現。
白內障摘除手術是目前最有效的治療方法，透過摘除渾濁的晶體並植入人工晶體，大部分患者於手術後均能重見光明。
Related maps 相關地圖
Other resources 其他資訊
Organisations 有關機構
Further information 詳細資料
- World Sight Day, Vision 2020
- Cataract, WHO
- Cataract, Smart Patient, Hospital Authority