RIYADH, 6 March 2005 — Ophthalmologists participating in a workshop on Vision 2020 here showed concern on the rising cases of diabetes retinopathy in the GCC countries including the Kingdom.
The workshop was sponsored by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness in the Eastern Mediterranean headed by Prince Abdul Aziz ibn Ahmed to help health care professionals organize public health projects in the field of eye care.
“Prevention of blindness is one of the biggest challenges faced by the countries in the Gulf region. Changes in lifestyle have enhanced the number of diabetics in the region which is one of the causes leading to blindness,” Dr. Rajiv Khandekhar, project manager in eye care at the Ministry of Health in Oman, told the health professionals.
Some 37 million people in the world are reported blind, he said, adding that 80 percent of the cases could have been prevented by early diagnosis and treatment.
Dr. Khandekhar noted that advanced medical facilities have increased the life span of the population compelling the Gulf countries to focus more on the health of their aging population especially regarding eye care.
The WHO Vision 2020 Global Coordinator, Dr. Ivo Kocur, told Arab News that success in tackling infectious diseases combined with changes in the world’s population have caused a dramatic shift in the patterns of blindness around the world. “Ten years ago, infectious diseases such as trachoma and onchocerciasis were among the leading causes of blindness. Today these factors are far less important compared to chronic diseases such as diabetes.”
The co-chairman of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness of the Eastern Mediterranean Region, Dr. Abdul Aziz I. Al-Rajhi, said the increasing incidents of diabetes has alarmed the medical world. “We are carrying out a nationwide campaign to tell the public of the dangers of diabetes when neglected,” he said.
