TRACHOMA 299 TABLE 7-46. DISTRIBUTION OF TRICHIASIS AND ENTROPION (TIE) SURGICAL PRIORITY GROUP BY SEX (NBS 1981) Sex and Priority Groupa Estimated Population in Group Percentage of All T/E by Sex Percentage of All T/E in Nepal Sample N 41 23 18 135 58 77 14,664 8,124 6,540 43,664 18,780 24,884 100.0% 55.4 44.6 100.0 43.0 57.0 100.0 25.1% 13.9 11.2 74.9 32.2 42.7 100.0 Male Priority 1-3 Priority 4-5 Female Priority 1-3 Priority 4-5 Total 176 58,328 Source: FR7.005.3 AN.8 aPriority groups: 1. One eye blind and T/E in other eye. 2. No blindness and Stage 3 T/E in either eye. 3. No blindness and Stage 2 T/E in either eye. 4. No blindness and Stage 1 T/E in either eye. 5. Bilateral blind and T/E in either eye. Finally, the relationship between surgical priority group and ethnic group is presented in Table 7-47. For the Brahmin, Chhetri, Magar, and Tharu ethnic groups, identified previously as important sources of trichiasis and entropion cases, somewhat less than half of the trichiasis and entropion, an estimated 18,516 persons, urgently require surgery; approximately half, an estimated 8,388 persons, urgently requires surgery· in the other ethnic groups. Priority groups 1, 2, and 3 in the four ethnic groups presented in the table and figure represent nearly one-third (31.8%) of all trichiasis and entropion in Nepal, and account for more than two-thirds (68.8%) of the trichiasis and entropion urgently needing lid surgery. A more complete analysis would attempt to profile persons in priority groups 1, 2, and 3 by identifying those combinations of characteristics that are closely associated with these priorities. Al- though such an analysis is beyond the scope of the present inves- tigation, it appears that the. groups most urgently requiring lid surgery are females in the Brahmin, Chhetri, Magar, and Tharu ethnic groups residing in the Far West region of Nepal. These find- ings should be useful, especially when combined with the suggested mobile surgery intervention in Bheri and Seti zones, in developing appropriate intervention strategies for preventing blindness due to trichiasis and entropion in Nepal.
