As a result of a research project completed by the ORNATE India project team, led by Sobha Sivaprasad, consultant surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital, a policy has been implemented by the Government of Kerala to screen all people with diabetes for diabetic retinopathy.
Kerala has a population of 35 million people and is the diabetes capital of India with a diabetes prevalence of 20% in urban Kerala. This new policy to screen all people with diabetes registered in the primary care clinics for diabetic retinopathy will enable more people to be diagnosed at an earlier stage to allow for early intervention for treatment, which could in turn help prevent sight loss.
Sobha Sivaprasad, consultant surgeon at Moorfields and ORNATE project lead, said:
“This change in policy is a significant victory in helping to detect diabetic retinopathy, particularly in its early stages. Diabetes is very common in Kerala, so widespread screening for diabetic retinopathy could have a huge impact on the livelihoods of many people in this region.”