Population-based screening leads to improved glaucoma diagnosis in Kazakhstan

Abstract

To analyse the effect of the state screening program for glaucoma, funded by the Kazakhstan State programs for the health care system “Salamatty Kazakhstan” (2011–2015) and “Densaulyk” (2016–2019), on glaucoma diagnosis. This study involved 1,620,658 men and women 40–70 years of age. State screening for glaucoma includes measures of intraocular pressure (IOP) and corneal thickness. Data for glaucoma incidence were retrieved from the state statistics dataset. Studies of vulnerable age groups and ophthalmologists’ availabilities were assessed, and correlations with glaucoma detection were determined. For the statistical analysis, MATLAB application package version R2017b (MathWorks, USA) was used. The number of registered glaucoma patients was 43,337 in 2010. In 2016, following the screening program, this figure increased to 68,195. A 49% increase in newly identified glaucoma cases from 70.8 (in 2010) to 124 (in 2016) per 100,000 population was determined. Thus, the sufficiency and effectiveness of the screening program were confirmed by the increase in the number of patients diagnosed with glaucoma, which also depended on age. A correlation between suspected glaucoma and age groups was exposed with the observation of a high number of cases in the older population. The state screening programs for glaucoma in the Republic of Kazakhstan constitute initial steps in the prevention of irreversible blindness and disability due to glaucoma. Such screening seems to allow timely and adequate diagnosis of the disease in people>40 years of age.

Key Messages

• The implementation of the Kazakhstan State programs for the health care system “Salamatty Kazakhstan” (2011–2015) and “Densaulyk” (2016–2019) enabled the detection of glaucoma cases in Kazakhstan of the population aged over 40 years.

• Education of the population about the prevention and treatment of glaucoma has a vital role in lowering the cases of this socially significant pathology.

• Increasing the number of eye care specialists and implementing high-tech diagnostic tools will be the main steps in the strategy for early detection of glaucoma.

Keywords:

• Glaucoma
• screening
• Kazakhstan
• population
• diagnosis

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all patients and their families for their participation in this study. The authors would also like to thank the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan for the implementation of the state programs “Salamatty Kazakhstan” (2011–2015) and “Densaulyk” (2016–2019). MK acknowledges the InnoHK initiative and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

Author contributions

Conception and design: LBT, NAA. MK; Analysis and interpretation of the data: LBT, MK; Drafting of the paper, revising it critically for intellectual content: MK, AMA; Final approval of the version to be published: NAA. All authors agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The authors confirm the terms of the share upon reasonable request data policy and have deposited on the location: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/my-drive.

Statements

1. All methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations.

2. All patients provided written informed consent before participation in this study.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Lyaylya Bolatovna Tashtitova

Lyaylya Bolatovna Tashtitova is the Head of the outpatient department and ophthalmic surgeon at the Kazakh Eye Research Institute, and the doctor of the highest category. Her research interests include the treatment of glaucoma, cataract and glaucoma surgeries, and the epidemiology of ophthalmic diseases.

Neilya Akhmetovna Aldasheva

Neilya Akhmetovna Aldasheva is a doctor of medical sciences, General Director and ophthalmic surgeon at the Kazakh Eye Research Institute, and the doctor of the highest category. Her research interests include glaucoma surgery, epidemiology of ophthalmic diseases, and management of the eye health care system.

Ardak M. Auyezova

Ardak M. Auyezova is the Rector of the Higher School of Public Health of Kazakhstan Medical University and an ophthalmologist. Her research interests include vascular pathology of the eye, organization of medical activities, and public health.

Mukhit Kulmaganbetov

Mukhit Kulmaganbetov is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Quantum Optics Lab at the Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), a research collaboration between The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the University of Waterloo in Canada under the InnoHK initiative of the HKSAR Government. His research interests include retinal neuronal degeneration (including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and Alzheimer’s disease), machine learning tools for image processing and classification, optical coherence tomography, and quantum optics.