More than 100 inmates of correctional facilities in the UAE were tested for diabetic retinopathy at the two-week Noor Dubai screening campaign as part of the World Sight Day celebrations.

 

Screening involved testing blood sugar control, visual acuity and free distribution of eye glasses for those in need, as well as fundus photography of the retina, supported by Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis. 

 

“We were amazed at the level of professionalism used at the healthcare centres in these facilities. They are state-of-the-art and provided all that was necessary to guarantee the safety and well-being of both staff and inmates. We were able to use a non mydriatric fundus camera to capture images of the retina without the need to use eye drops, or a referral to a specialised clinic,” said Dr Manal Taryam, CEO of Noor Dubai, an international charitable foundation for the prevention and treatment of blindness and low vision.

 

Currently available statistics show that 19 per cent of the UAE population suffer from diabetes and statistically, nearly all of those with type 1 and 77 per cent with type 2 will suffer from diabetic retinopathy at some point in their lives, according to Dr Taryam.

 

“30 years of studies show that with early detection, 90 per cent of those suffering from blindness due to diabetes could have been prevented if they were diagnosed at an early stage of the disease,” added Dr. Taryam.

 

Worldwide, diabetes causes 4.8 percent of total blindness, an estimate 37 million people across the globe, according to the World Health Organisation.

 

The screening covered punishment and correctional facilities in Dubai, Sharjah, Fujairah and Ajman, and included 107 inmates. – TradeArabia News Service