Changing scenario of cataract blindness in Kolar District, Karnataka, South India. The utility of rapid assessment of avoidable blindness in reviewing programs.

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence and causes of blindness in persons aged 50 years and over in Kolar district, India, using rapid assessment of avoidable blindness (RAAB) methodology and compare results with a similar study done in 1995.

Methodology: A total of 61 clusters of 50 people aged 50 years and over were selected by probability proportional to size sampling. Households were selected by compact segment sampling.