Community Based Strategies Adopted Towards Eliminating Needless Blindness From Diabetic Retinopathy !

1. Dr. Rodney. J. Morris¹
2. Dr. V.R. Saravanan¹
3. Dr. Parag. K. Shah¹
4. Dr. Thomas Chacko¹
5. Dr. Abhishek Kothari¹
6. Dr. V. Narendran¹

1 Aravind Eye Hospital, Coimbatore, India

Purpose: To cater to the Diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening needs of a large remote rural population.

Methods: This prospective study was done in 3 districts of a South Indian state comprising a cumulative population of 9.8 million people of which the majority were of a rural background where health care access was poor. It was done over a 3 year period from May 2006 to April 2009. The activities were broadly divided into awareness creation and screening. The former included seminars, press meetings, exhibitions and educational material distribution. The latter included DR screening camps and mobile van screening using satellite technology in very remote areas.

Results: 43 seminars & 9 exhibitions done; 1,00,626 pamphlets, 1561 booklets & 1327 posters distributed. 404 DR screening camps conducted; 62,768 people screened; Known diabetics were 15097 (24%) and newly detected 1175 (1.9%); Known DR were 760 (4.6%) and newly diagnosed 2441 (15%); Flourescein angiography in 342 and laser in 650 patients. 71 mobile van camps done, screening 15,985 people, detecting 179 new diabetic and 539 new DR patients, 19 underwent flourescein angiography and 63 had laser treatment. The impact was measured as an increase by 67% and 327% in new and review diabetic patients respectively from the 3 project districts; 43% and 62% increase in new and review DR patients respectively & 30% increase in DR lasers.

Conclusion: Population based strategies for awareness creation and screening has a huge positive impact towards eliminating needless blindness from Diabetic Retinopathy.