Care of diabetic retinopathy patients in Oman

DIABETES MELLITUS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH problem in both developing and developed countries with one of its complications being diabetic retinopathy (DR). As the life expectancy of people with diabetes has increased owing to improved health care, the prevalence of DR is rising. DR is therefore now included in the list of priority diseases of the WHO’s VISION 2020 strategy to eliminate all preventable cases of blindness by the year 2020. In Oman, a comprehensive programme approach to DR was adopted in 1998. Oman’s system of screening for and treating DR is considered to be a good model in the region. The programme approach for eye care of people with diabetes in Oman has strengths and weaknesses. This editorial describes these, along with future challenges and solutions to handle them, including the use in Oman of modern technology to manage the eye complications of diabetes. However, strategies for educating people about their role in primary prevention of DR and the development of rehabilitation services for visually impaired diabetics still need urgent implementation.