10:25, 02 февраля 2023, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Maria ORLOVA
Kyrgyzstan plans to conduct diabetic retinopathy screening. Press center of the Ministry of Health reported.
According to it, diabetic retinopathy is damage to the retina that occurs with diabetes. It is the leading cause of vision loss in the working population. It can be prevented in case of early detection and laser treatment. A systematic screening program for diabetic retinopathy is essential to prevent vision loss.
More than 74,000 people with diabetes are officially registered in Kyrgyzstan. The Ministry of Health plans to examine citizens, but this will require equipment. According to the Deputy Minister of Health Ulan Sadykov, the ministry is working on the project. In December 2022, a special team arrived in Kyrgyzstan to screen the population for diabetic retinopathy. They analyzed the situation necessary for the implementation of the program in the pilot Alamedin district. The findings and recommendations for screening formed the basis of the draft guidelines.
«The goal of the project is to implement a national screening program aimed at preventing blindness for all patients with diabetes,» the ministry said.