Recognizing that Diabetic Retinopathy is likely to pose a public health challenge in India coupled with the associated complications of diabetes, the first of its kind "Certificate Course in Evidence Based Management of Diabetic Retinopathy (CCDR Cycle I)" was announced in Pune today.
The course is a unique four months executive on the job PAN-India program that aims to build capacity amongst primary care physicians to address management, counselling, referral and prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy. It is designed, delivered and implemented by Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI), along with academic partners Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Education Academy (DMDEA), Chennai; Aravind Eye Care System, Madurai and supported by an educational grant from The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust (QEDJT) with funding from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust. The QEDJT was set up on the recommendation of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Australia in 2011 (CHOGM) and therefore the onus of responsibility is on all member countries of the Commonwealth.
Diabetic retinopathy (DR), one of the foremost causes of blindness world-wide, is a neurovascular disorder that affects minute blood vessels of the retina and eventually causes painless loss of vision and blindness. DR accounts for three percent of blindness in India.
It is now among the most important causes of visual loss during the productive years of life. DR occurs both in type one and type two diabetes and studies have shown that nearly all type one and up to 80 percent of type two diabetes will develop DR after 15 years duration of diabetes.
Announcing the first cycle of the Diabetic Retinopathy course, Prof GVS Murthy said, "Diabetic retinopathy is one of the important causes of preventable blindness especially in the productive years among Indians. The increasing incidence of diabetic blindness is a major public health concern hence there is an urgent need to address this ever increasing health hazard."
"To manage, treat and to prevent the complications of DR we need a trained set of doctors who are equipped with the latest technology, and follow the cutting-edge international and national guidelines. At PHFI, IIPH, and our partner organizations Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Education Academy (DMDEA), Aravind Eye Care System, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, the endeavor is to help strengthen education, training, and research in the area of public health," added Prof GVS Murthy.
Prof D. Prabhakaran, Vice President - Research, PHFI and Co-PI, CCDR Cycle I, PHFI said, "There is a high burden of Diabetic Retinopathy in India and there is very limited attention to this problem both from a provider as well as population prospective. Given that early diagnosis and treatment remain the cornerstone of management of Diabetic Retinopathy, there is an urgent need to build capacity in early identification and management of DR."
"With an aim to make an impact on diabetes and its related complications such as Diabetic Retinopathy, PHFI along with its national and global partners announces a PAN-India DR course that will ultimately benefit patients with Diabetic Retinopathy. This course is a well-designed compendium that provides practical and simple tips for disease detection and management for primary care doctors. In addition it also improve the knowledge on recent advances in DR," added Prof D. Prabhakaran.
The course further aims to develop a standard teaching protocol and module for evidence based learning on Diabetic Retinopathy, update practicing/primary care physicians with the latest advancements in the field of Diabetic Retinopathy and ultimately build a network of Primary Care Physicians and specialists in the field of Diabetes and Retinopathy.
