Several international organizations have joined forces to assess global awareness about diabetic retinopathy, its treatments and its consequences.

The key partners, the International Federation on Ageing (IFA) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), will work in collaboration with the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). These organizations will gather evidence on knowledge, policies, standards of care, and supportive services across 40 countries.

Phase I of the project will be comprised of 120 interviews in eight countries representative of various socio-economic statuses. Phase II will be the implementation of a survey in 40 countries, which will be formulated based on the data gathered in Phase I.

“Unless we act now to stem the diabetes epidemic and provide joined up services that enable people with diabetes to be checked and treated for diabetic retinopathy then the number of blind people in the world will increase dramatically in forthcoming years,” said Peter Ackland, chief executive of IAPB.

The project will culminate in the production of a barometer report and a compendium of resources designed to increase awareness, as well as to develop better public policies and better practices for managing diabetic retinopathy and vision loss.

Source:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/276726.php