Sightsavers has organized a two-day training for nurses and other health workers aimed at tackling diabetic retinopathy in Plateau State.
It was reported that diabetic retinopathy is an eye condition that can lead to vision loss and blindness in people living with diabetes.
The condition mainly affects the blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye.
The two-day training is currently ongoing in Jos.
Speaking on the exercise, Dr Joshua Ibenu said the initiative was part of the ongoing Comprehensive Eye Health Programme for the state.
Ibenu added that the exercise aimed to train participants on the use of fundus cameras in detecting retinopathy in diabetic patients.
He said the training, which is in its pilot phase, involved participants from secondary health facilities in Shendam Local Government Area.
He also said the initiative aimed to ensure early detection of retinopathy, particularly at primary and secondary healthcare facilities.
“Currently, Sightsavers has been partnering with the Plateau State Government to improve eye care for residents. This is our fourth year, and this is the second phase of our project.
“For this exercise, we are conducting diabetic retinopathy training for ophthalmic nurses from general hospitals, and the training is targeted at reducing the effects of retinopathy through community-level and secondary-level screening.
“The nurses are being trained on how to use a fundus camera, which is a new technology, to conduct secondary-level screening. Once the screenings are done, patients can be referred to tertiary hospitals such as the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for proper care.
“What we are trying to do is ensure that treatment is available at the secondary level and in rural centres, where screened patients can be assessed by doctors at tertiary hospitals for confirmation and referral.
“Basically, we are supporting the Plateau State Government to decentralize some of these services to areas where they are most needed,” he said.
Also speaking, Dr Nazaradeen Ibrahim, Sightsavers’ Senior Global Technical Lead for Eye Health supporting Africa, said that more than 30 per cent of diabetic patients in Nigeria suffer from retinopathy.
Ibrahim, who described diabetes as the “silent killer” of the eye, called for urgent action to address the condition.
“A lot of people do not know they have diabetic retinopathy, especially in rural areas.
“This training is very important for us as an organization and for the general population because the incidence of non-communicable diseases, including diabetes, is increasing.
“As an organization supporting eye health and helping countries reduce the burden of blindness and visual impairment, we recognition that diabetes can silently damage the eye.
“It can cause visual impairment and even blindness, so we felt there should be an initiative that helps identify complications resulting from diabetes,” he said.
Dr Noami Sale, an ophthalmologist with JUTH, explained that people living with diabetes for up to five years were at risk of developing retinopathy.
Sale, a facilitator at the training, advised diabetic patients to undergo regular eye checks to prevent blindness.
She, however, expressed concern over the rising cases of diabetes, particularly among young people, attributing the trend to lifestyle, diet and other unhealthy practices.
