Experts call for national strategy to tackle diabetes-induced eye disease
In Bangladesh, retinal care remains concentrated in Dhaka, with limited facilities in districts, they say.
Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in Bangladesh, is rising in tune with the country's growing diabetes prevalence.
Despite its severity, early detection and treatment remain limited due to gaps in awareness, screening programmes, health system readiness, and coordination among stakeholders.
On the occasion of World Retina Day 2025, the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital (NIOH), in collaboration with Roche Bangladesh, hosted a multi-stakeholder roundtable discussion titled "Bridging Policy, Task Shifting, and Innovation: Tackling Diabetic Retinopathy" yesterday (28 September) at Pan Pacific Sonargaon Dhaka.
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In Bangladesh, retinal care remains concentrated in Dhaka, with limited facilities in districts, experts said. The NIOH runs a Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Program, screening 30–35 patients daily. Around 2% are referred to the vitreo-retina department.
However, the program faces challenges such as poor patient follow-up, weak documentation, and limited patient communication. Broader systemic issues include low health literacy, late-stage presentation, inadequate specialist numbers, weak referral pathways, high travel costs, and the absence of insurance or subsidies for long-term care.
Experts at the roundtable stressed the need for urgent reforms. Proposed measures include expanding nationwide screening, raising awareness among diabetologists and internists, integrating AI-based diagnostic tools in diabetic hospitals, and developing teleophthalmology platforms to link rural patients with Dhaka-based specialists. They also called for incorporating retina care into the national non-communicable disease (NCD) strategy and ensuring dedicated health budget allocations.
In a keynote presentation, Dr Md Mezbahul Alam, Associate Professor, Vitreo-Retina Department at NIOH, highlighted the alarming socioeconomic burden of retinal diseases. Between 2017 and 2024, the combined economic impact of neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) reached an estimated $1.5 billion.
This burden is projected to soar to $3.5 billion between 2025 and 2032 — a rise of over 30% with serious implications for healthcare systems and the economy.
Globally, retinal diseases affect nearly 70 million people. nAMD accounts for 20 million cases, predominantly among older adults, while DME — closely linked to diabetes — affects 21 million working-age individuals. Retinal vein occlusion (RVO), another major cause of vision loss among those over 50, impacts 28 million people worldwide.
"Retinal diseases pose an enormous socioeconomic challenge, but with coordinated efforts in screening, awareness, and investment in modern care systems, we can prevent avoidable blindness and protect millions from lifelong disability," said Dr Alam.
