"The Silent Thief of Sight" - Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Using Digital Retinal Imaging in Sri Lanka [Policy Brief]

Description of impact

Based on the evidence generated in my (Dr. Mapa Prabhath Piyasena) Master's and PhD research projects, I have contributed and developed a Policy Brief for Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Using Digital Retinal Imaging in Sri Lanka, under the experts guidance from Ministry of Health Sri Lanka and CDC - USA. This is the first policy brief on diabetic retinopathy screening using digital retinal imaging in Sri Lanka.

Who is affected

This policy brief has been presented to the Directorate of Non-communicable Disease Prevention - Ministry of Health Sri Lanka, to include the strategies under the Health Policy of NCD.

Narrative

Diabetes mellites is an epidemic in Sri Lanka with 1 million people affected. Diabetic retinopathy is a common eye complication of diabetes mellitus and 300,000 people are at threat of losing sight. There is no systematic diabetic retinopathy screening program in Sri Lanka. Availability of skilled personnel, equipment for screening, and medical supplies for treatment are key priorities in preventing sight loss due to diabetes retinopathy. We can prevent over 1700 cases of blindness by training medical officers on screening using digital retinal imaging and treating diabetic retinopathy early.

Impact status	Completed
Category of impact	Public Policy Impact
Impact level	Benefit