Doctors flag rising retinal vision impairment

HYDERABAD: Doctors emphasised the urgent need to prioritise retinal health in India, given the country’s over 100 million diabetic and aging population.

During a roundtable discussion on the socio-economic burden of retinal vision impairment, ophthalmologists addressed several issues related to vision loss and diseases, on the occasion of World Retina Day.

They noted that the contribution of retinal disorders to blindness in India has risen from 4.7% in 2010 to 8% in 2019. India is home to one-third of the world’s blind population, with over 11 million affected by retinal conditions, including 3.88 million suffering from diabetic macular edema (DME) and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD).