Almost 20% of people with diabetes in India have diabetic retinopathy, which may lead to blindness.Today, there are approximately 31.7 million people with diabetes in India. However, projections show that by 2030, this number will have increased to 80 million.Consequently, by 2030 around 16 million people in India will be at high risk of losing their eye sight due to diabetic retinopathy. Hence, efforts to alternate this development are urgently needed.The project seeks to enhance prevention, treatment and awareness raising in regard to diabetic retinopathy.
The project is implemented in the Vidharbha region, situated in Maharashtra in western India. Implementation is headed by Drushti Medical and Research Foundation with assistance from other partners in the area.Three components constitute the project:1. Training2. Service delivery3. AwarenessIn relation to the training component, ophthalmologists and paramedical staff residing in the area will be invited to participate in a training session at the hospital run by the Drushti Medical and Research Foundation. The training will be a mixture of lectures and hands-on training with emphasis on practical infield recognition and management of diabetic eye disease. A total of 10 ophthalmologists and 15 paramedical staff are expected to benefit from the training.For the service delivery arm of the project, up to ten screening camps will be organised annually resulting in approximately 18,000 people with diabetes screened for diabetic retinopathy during the project period. The camps will be held at various locations in the project area and public announcements of the camps will be initiated one month before they are conducted. All people with diabetes in the area will be eligible to attend the camps.The people in need of treatment or further investigation will be referred to the Drushti Medical and Research Foundation's hospital where they will be offered the required treatment. If their income is less than 40 USD per month they will receive treatment free of charge.Patients who do not have problems with their eyes will receive counselling on the importance of good glyceamic control in order to avoid complications and be offered follow-up checks in the future.The awareness component of the project consists of two elements - one targeting the general population and one aimed at the medical and paramedical professionals.Awareness about diabetic retinopathy among the general population will be raised through awareness camps arranged in collaboration with local NGOs. Four awareness camps will be conducted annually.At the camps, various speakers will explain the importance of early detection and prevention of diabetic retinopathy. The camps will be conducted at bazaars or religious festivals or other occasions where many people are gathered. It is expected that 1,000 people will attend each camp.Awareness will also be raised in connection with the screening camps by ending each camp with a public meeting at which people receive information about diabetic retinopathy. In total, 30,000 people will participate in these community diabetes education programmes.Efforts will also be made to raise the level of awareness among the medical and paramedical professionals. This will be done by arranging meetings for these groups at which the importance of screening in order to detect signs of diabetic retinopathy will be stressed.
- 8 optometrists trained- 19,417 patients screened- 2,042 received laser treatment and 556 received VR treatment - Community education conducted through pamphlets and AV presentation at festivals fairs- 12 awareness campaign conducted with screening camps