Concurrent with population , diabetes has reached epidemic proportions and is fast becoming one of the leading causes of death and disability. As a chronic, progressive, and systemic disease, diabetes with its serious and burden of will increase substantially over the next two decades.
The loss of vision is one of the most feared health problems and yet the prevalence of diabetic eye diseases including diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic macular edema (DME) is increasing globally in this region at a rapid rate. The implications of vision loss for individuals and societies are significant and widespread, including limiting the ability to conduct daily tasks including work, driving, and managing personal health. In addition, there are currently systemic gaps that must be addressed for people with diabetes to have improved vision health outcomes:
- Inadequate patient education about prevention of DR and DME;
- Limited availability and use of professional guidelines and protocols for health professionals;
- Inadequate and unequal access to screening and treatment; and
- Lack of coordination across the diabetes patient care pathway.