HYDERABAD: To address the rising threat of avoidable blindness due to Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP), the Ministry of Health under the Government of India has successfully implemented two pilot initiatives focusing on a comprehensive health system approach that includes prevention, screening, and treatment of DR and ROP.
The initiatives were taken up in association with Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), and Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.
As many as 60,970 people with diabetes have been screened and 4072 treated for DR, under the initiative. Similarly, under the ROP initiative, 10,392 infants have been screened and 317 babies have received sight-saving treatment.