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Aim: To determine the magnitude and causes of low vision and blindness in the Gurage zone, central Ethiopia. Methods: A cross sectional study using a multistage cluster sampling technique was used to identify the study subjects. Visual acuity was recorded for all adults 40 years and older. Subjects who had a visual acuity of <6/18 were examined by an ophthalmologist to determine the cause of Iow vision or blindness. Results: From the enumerated population, 2693 (90.8%) were examined. The prevalence of blindness (<3/60 better eye presenting vision) was 7.9% (95% CI 6.9 to 8.9) and of Iow vision (6/24-3/60 better eye presenting vision) was 12.1% (95% CI 10.9 to 13.3). Monocular blindness was recorded in 16.3% of the population. Blindness and Iow vision increased with age. The odds of Iow vision and blindness in women were 1.8 times that of the men. The leading causes of blindness were cataract (46.1%), trachoma (22.9%), and glaucoma (7.6%). While the prevalence of vision reducing cataract increased with age, the prevalence of trachoma related vision loss did not increase with age, suggesting that trichiasis related vision loss in this population might not be cumulative. Conclusion: The magnitude of low vision and blindness is high in this zone and requires urgent intervention, particularly for women. Further investigation of the pattern of vision loss, particularly as a result of trachomatous trichiasis, is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]