Worldwide for each blind person, an average of 3.4 people have low vision, with country and regional variation ranging from 2.4 to 5.5.By age: Visual impairment is unequally distributed across age groups. More than 82% of all people who are blind are 50 years of age and older, although they represent only 19% of the worlds population. Due to the expected number of years lived in blindness (blind years), childhood blindness remains a significant problem, with an estimated 1.4 million blind children below age 15. By gender: Available studies consistently indicate that in every region of the world, and at all ages, females have a significantly higher risk of being visually impaired than males.By geography: Visual impairment is not distributed uniformly throughout the world. More than 90% of the worlds visually impaired live in developing countries.Since the estimates of the 1990s, new data based on the 2002 global population show a reduction in the number of people who are blind or visually impaired, and those who are blind from the effects of infectious diseases, but an increase in the number of people who are blind from conditions related to longer life spans.In 1987, it was estimated that 598,000 people in the United States met the legal definition of blindness. Of this number, 58% were over the age of 65. In 1994–1995, 1.3 million Americans reported legal blindness. Society and culture
Legal definition
To determine which people qualify for special assistance because of their visual disabilities, various governments have specific definitions for legal blindness.
Bagassosis, an interstitial lung disease, is a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis attributed to exposure to moldy molasses or bagasse dust. Signs and symptoms
Some symptoms and signs of Bagassosis include breathlessness, cough, haemoptysis, slight fever. Acute diffuse bronchiolitis may also occur. An xray may show mottling of lungs or a shadow. Cause
Bagassosis has been shown to be due to a thermophilic actinomycetes for which the name thermoactinomycetes sacchari was suggested. Prevention
The following are precautionary measures that can be taken to avoid the spread of bagassosis:

Dust control-prevention /suppression of dust such as wet process, enclosed apparatus, exhaust ventilation etc. should be used
Personal protection- masks/ respirators
Medical control- initial medical examination & periodical checkups of workers
Bagasse control- keep moisture content above 20% and spray bagasse with 2% propionic acid

History
Bagassosis was first reported in India by Ganguly and Pal in 1955, in a cardboard manufacturing plant near Kolkata. India has a large cane sugar industry. The sugarcane fibre which, until recently, went to waste, is now utilised in the manufacture of cardboard, paper and rayon. References


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