India to raise Retina awareness to prevent blindness

Retinologists from across India have joined the Vitreo-Retinal Society of India (VRSI) to raise awareness of retinal diseases, which have become the country’s leading cause of preventable blindness.

According to the VRSI, lack of awareness and an avoidance of seeking diagnosis and treatment have lead to a significant rise in patients suffering from vision loss. Retina Day, observed across India on 26 November, was created as a first attempt to counter the trend, the most significant effect of which has been a rise of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).

The VRSI’s secretary, Dr Raja Narayanan, explains: “The symptoms of AMD are often misunderstood as signs of ageing and therefore ignored. Compromised vision can push AMD patients into a cycle of events that impact their overall quality of life. There is a need to raise awareness, recognise symptoms early, and seek medical treatment to prevent blindness due to retinal diseases.”

It is expected that, by 2030, India’s ageing population will count 1.54 million patients with AMD.