Diabetic retinopathy and the principles of screening

Abstract

Diabetes-related eye problems are a growing eye health concern globally, and diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the leading causes of preventable blindness. Ideally, people with diabetes should have an initial comprehensive eye examination, including fundus examination through dilated pupils, and then followed up with recommended intervals. However, in reality, this cannot be achieved because of the limitations in the human resources and health facilities, among others. On the other hand, fundus screening for DR justifies the suggested principles for screening for combating a disease. DR screening programs at the local/regional/national level can serve as an effective way for the diagnosis and treatment of vision-threatening DR in people with diabetes. These programs need to be tailored according to the human resources and the infrastructure of the community; they will serve, and they should have a monitoring system in place, as well. The availability, accessibility, and affordability of the treatment should also be ensured for people with vision-threatening DR.

Keywords

• diabetes mellitus
• diabetic eye disease
• diabetic retinopathy
• screening