Loss of vision due to diabetic eye complications and age-related visual conditions is on the rise in South Africa.
Diabetic retinopathy, a complication of diabetes that damages the blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye, is the leading cause of vision loss globally.
The number of people with diabetics in South Africa has risen sharply from 1.3 million in 2010 to 4.5 million in 2019, it is expected to reach 6 million by 2030.
Retina South Africa and the Ophthalmological Society of South Africa (OSSA) joined forces to create awareness of vision loss during September’s World Retina Week.
Dr Gerhard Kok, President of the South African Vitreoretinal Society, a sub-society of OSSA, said that about 1.7% of diabetic patients would develop diabetic retinopathy, while improved life expectancy globally meant that worldwide incidence of age-related macular degeneration was expected to reach 288-million in 2040, from 196- million in 2020.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, Retina SA has conducted an outreach programme to give assistance and advice to the thousands of South Africans losing vision to retinal conditions.
Advocacy Action: Does your county have a diabetic eye screening programme? Can you advocate for one, perhaps by linking with your national diabetes or Ophthalmological society?