Vision, hearing, and intellectual disabilities in school-age children and adolescents (5-19 years) in Latin America and the Caribbean.

BACKGROUND

Childhood sensory and intellectual disabilities represent significant yet under-recognized barriers to learning and human capital development. This study analyzes prevalence and severity of these conditions among 149.3 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 years across 25 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 data.

METHODS

We extracted GBD 2023 estimates for vision loss, hearing loss, and intellectual disability across 25 LAC countries, stratified by age, sex, and severity. Regional estimates were calculated using population-weighted averages. Severity distributions were compared with Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries to contextualize regional patterns.

RESULTS

These conditions are estimated to have affected 9,282,921 children and adolescents (6.22%; 95% uncertainty interval (UI): 5.89-6.54%). Hearing loss was predominant, affecting an estimated 5.42 million (3.63%, 3.41-3.86), with 87.6% mild-to-moderate. Intellectual disability estimated to have affected 2.56 million (1.71%, 1.58-1.85), with 61.7% borderline-to-mild. Vision loss estimated to have affected 1.30 million (0.87%, 0.79-0.96), with 89% that can be effectively addressed with spectacles. Prevalence increased with age across all conditions. Male predominance was consistent for intellectual disability (2.00% vs 1.42%). Annual economic cost totaled US$19.3-29.0 billion, while comprehensive interventions would require US$9.45-14.23 billion with benefit-cost ratios of 2:1-15:1.

CONCLUSIONS

The distribution of children and adolescents across milder levels of difficulty underscores the opportunity for education and public health systems to provide timely and accessible support. With approximately 88% of sensory impairments addressable through established technologies, investments in inclusive services can yield strong social and economic returns.