Why Australia needs a diabetic retinopathy screening program
One in four patients with diabetes will be diagnosed with the debilitating condition
Iceland is one of the few countries in the world to have a national screening program for diabetic retinopathy.
Between 1980 and 1994, the prevalence of blindness in the diabetic population was reduced from 2.4% to 0.5% following its implementation.1
Similarly, the incidence of sight impairment in the diabetic population was almost halved in Wales over an eight-year period up to 2015 after a systematic approach to diabetic retinopathy screening was adopted.2
Yet research suggests that one in four Australians with diabetes will be diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy, despite the fact early detection and prompt treatment can prevent up to 98% of visual impairment.3
