Limited Evidence from Latin America/Caribbean Region on Pediatric Vision Screening Programs (2018-2025)
The provided evidence does not contain any studies from the Latin America/Caribbean region between 2018 and 2025 that evaluated pediatric vision-screening or amblyopia-detection programs and their implementation outcomes.
What the Evidence Shows
The available evidence consists primarily of:
U.S.-based guidelines and recommendations from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (2023) 1, American Academy of Pediatrics (2012) 1, and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2005,2017) 1, 2
Studies from high-income countries, predominantly the United States, evaluating screening methods and treatment outcomes 3, 2, 4
One study from Romania (2009) examining amblyopia treatment protocols, which predates the requested timeframe 5
Key Gap in Regional Evidence
While the American Academy of Ophthalmology acknowledges that Latinx children have higher amblyopia prevalence (2.6%) compared to African American children (1.5%) 1, none of the provided evidence includes implementation studies from Latin American or Caribbean healthcare systems during 2018-2025.
What Would Be Relevant
Studies from this region would ideally evaluate:
Screening program implementation outcomes such as coverage rates, referral completion, and treatment adherence in Latin American/Caribbean settings 3, 6
Instrument-based screening adoption (photoscreening, autorefraction) in resource-variable settings 1
Barriers to follow-up care specific to Latin American/Caribbean populations 6
Cost-effectiveness and feasibility of different screening approaches in these healthcare systems 2
Clinical Implication
The absence of region-specific implementation data represents a significant evidence gap, particularly given that Hispanic/Latinx populations demonstrate both higher amblyopia prevalence and lower screening rates compared to non-Hispanic populations 1, 2. This disparity underscores the need for targeted research in Latin America and Caribbean countries to develop contextually appropriate screening programs.