The Sanitary Ophthalmology School Plan is in process in the State of S. Paulo, Brazil. It includes 1st grade primary school children, special classes and kindergarten of the government schools. The teachers play an important part in the programme as to the educational aspect and the visual acuity screening. This report presents an evaluation of the visual acuity test done by the teacher in comparison with the one carried out by the ophthalmologist. Both of them make use of the […]

An evaluation of the results of a visual screening carried out by teachers of public elementary school children considers the referral criteria for a specialized examination recommended in the plan for Preventive Ophthalmology in schools in the State of S. Paulo (Brazil). Among the 411 school children examined, there were 48 over-referral cases and 5 under-referrals. In analysing the over-referrals, it became evident that 36 cases (75%) occurred in pupils with visual acuity above the referral limit considered and that […]

The School Ophthalmology Health Plan was developed in the State of S. Paulo from 1973 to 1976 in State government schools with a view to detecting the visual problems of school children, and providing them with proper care, backed up by educational activities, and go on to survey the existing ophthalmological situation. Through the decentralization of the Health and Education services’ organization the work has reached all the administrative areas of the State of S. Paulo, with the participation of […]

This report presents retrospective data concerning 100 amblyopic patients in São Paulo, Brazil, including: the age of detection, means of detection, age in which therapy was started and follow-up of the patients. Even though most of the cases (65%) had been detected before the age of 7 years, 10.8% of them started the therapy only after 8 years of age, when the treatment of amblyopia may not be so successful. Among the patients who started their therapy before the age […]

OBJECTIVE: Low visual acuity (VA) is an important public health problem due to its high prevalence and because it needs early diagnosis in order to prevent damage in childhood development and apprenticeship. To describe and analyze low visual acuity (VA) prevalence among school children METHODS: Once performed the VA test to 1st and 4th grades primary school children data were analyzed by separating students according to sex, school grade, wearing of glasses, residence area and level of access to the […]