Abstract
Purpose :
Cornea blindness is the third most common cause of blindness in Nigeria, and it is prevalent among the working age group resulting in significant social and economic consequences. Cornea transplantation is a sight-restoring surgery but is heavily dependent on the availability of cornea tissues through voluntary donations. In Nigeria, the rate of cornea donation remains low, limiting the potential to alleviate corneal blindness. The study aims to investigate the barriers to cornea donation among the community and healthcare professionals in Lagos State.
Methods :
The study was carried out at the Eye Bank and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Nigeria from June to August 2023. It was a cross-sectional study with mixed methods of data collection. Purposive sampling was used to identify stakeholders in cornea services and potential cornea donors for In-depth interviews to explore their perceptions of cornea donation. A structured questionnaire was administered to adult participants to assess their knowledge, attitude and practice of cornea donation using a systematic sampling technique.
Results :
In the survey, of the 97 respondents, 10% and 38% of the population had good knowledge and practice of cornea donation respectively. Only 9% of the population had heard of cornea donation. However, 21% were willing to donate their cornea after receiving some information on cornea donation. The odds of having good knowledge of cornea donation decreased with increasing age. For participants aged 40 to 59 years, the odds ratio was 0.23 (90% CI 0.06, 0.83, p-value of 0.059) and for those aged 60 years and above, the odds ratio was 0.19 (90% CI 0.04, 0.81, p-value of 0.061). Lack of awareness and information was a recurring theme amongst all the participants. Cultural beliefs and misconceptions were also emphasized. The study highlighted the need for public awareness and education.
Conclusions :
Cultural and religious beliefs hinder cornea donation but the major problem as revealed in this study is the lack of awareness among the general public. An urgent increased public awareness and education is essential while also trying to address other barriers.
This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.