Masumeh Saeidi Health Providers 2820-9192 4 2 2024 12 01 Visual Impairments among School Students: A Public Health Concern 131 134 214465 10.22034/hp.2025.503404.1057 EN Razieh Bahreini PhD in Vision Science, College of Optometry, Pacific University, Forest Grove, Oregon, USA. 0000-0002-0929-2623 Journal Article 2025 01 30 Dear Editor-in-Chief, Visual impairments (VI) among school students represent a significant public health concern, affecting educational performance and overall development. Recent studies indicate considerable variations in the prevalence of visual impairments among school-aged children across different regions and research studies: 1. Prevalence Rates of Visual Impairments Global Context: A comprehensive study indicated that the overall prevalence rate of VI among students aged 6 to 18 years was approximately 57.93%, with a notable increase during the COVID-19 pandemic (from 53.48% to 54.65%) (2). This increase was especially notable in older age groups, with prevalence rates reaching 80.04% among 17-year-olds and 79.64% among 18-year-olds (1). Qatar: A study reported that 10.4% of students in government schools and 12.6% in private schools had abnormal visual acuity (2). Basra, Iraq: In Basra, a study indicated that 24% of elementary students had poor grades, suggesting a correlation between visual impairment and academic performance (3).

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