Abu Dhabi: The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, a disease that is brought about by diabetes and can eventually lead to irreversible blindness, is still a concern among ophthalmologists across the UAE.
However, greater awareness about the risks of this disease is the key to reducing its prevalence, leading eye care experts said in the capital yesterday.
"Not only are people across the UAE more aware of the risks of diabetes, but diabetics themselves are taking better care of their eyes than ever before. We therefore hope to see a fall in the incidence of diabetic retinopathy in the near future," Dr Manal Taryam, vice-president of the 33rd World Ophthalmology Congress (WOC 2012), told Gulf News.
She was speaking on the sidelines of the congress, which kicked off in the capital yesterday. The five-day event, which is being held in the Middle East and North Africa region for the first time, will see more than 10,000 delegates deliberate topics related to 35 ophthalmic sub-specialties.
At the conference, Dr Abdul Aziz Ebrahim Al Rajhi, the congress president, said that Arab countries as well as Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, currently have the second-highest percentage of people with visual impairments globally.
"Nearly 4 per cent of people in these countries are visually impaired. This proportion is second only to the percentage of people who are visually impaired in Africa," Al Rajhi said.
He added that in the Middle East and North Africa region as a whole, an estimated 22 million people suffer from visual impairments while more than three million people are afflicted by blindness.
"This congress therefore acts as a platform for practitioners from around the world to discuss the latest techniques and advancements, which will only further assist ophthalmologists to provide better care to their patients," the official said.
The congress is being held in Abu Dhabi under the patronage of General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and hosted by the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology in association with the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority.
Other topics highlighted on the first day of the congress was the global shortage in the number of ophthalmic support staff, which constrains the quality of eye care provided to ageing populations across the world.
Each of the 205,000 ophthalmologists worldwide needs four to six support staff in order to provide the best possible care, Dr Bruce Spivey, president of the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) said.
"However, the world only has 20 per cent of the required number of professionals, such as ophthalmic nurses, technicians and diagnostic staff, to support ophthalmologists in their treatment procedures," Dr Spivey said.
The doctor added that each region needed to pursue its own solutions and train enough professionals to overcome this shortage.
