Aims: To describe and understand better the barriers that elderly cataract patients in Kilimanjaro region (Tanzania) experience at the family level in order to access surgery.
Methods: A phenomenological study carried out in the catchment area of a teaching hospital in Kilimanjaro Region. 60 semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients and ex-cataract patients.
Results: The perceived need for sight and for surgery appears partly socially constructed at the family level. It was found that women were less likely to express a need for sight for fear of being seen as a burden. Furthermore, young heads of family are more inclined to support old men than old women. The consensus is that asking children for help can be difficult. Going for cataract surgery must be seen as a social process where elderly patients might have to wait or negotiate support for weeks, months, or even years.
Conclusions: Eye programmes must promote the benefits of cataract surgery to all family members, not just to the patient. A changing social climate, changing expectations of vision, and evolving cost sharing systems will have significant, sometimes contradictory, impacts on use of eye care services. Strategies for reaching those without access to financial resources need to be strengthened.