Overseas: Diabetes in India

In this article I hope to acquaint readers with the prevailing status of diabetes and diabetic eye disease in India, still the world’s largest democracy. To do so, I will consider the current incidence of diabetes, its impact upon eye health, and where we are at present regarding screening, treatment and disease prevention.

Diabetes in India is a growing health concern, with over half the population at risk of developing the condition at some point of their lives. There are 77 million adults living with diabetes and, as per predictions, this figure is likely to increase to 140 million by 2045 (see figure 1).¹ According to a survey conducted from 2015-19 at the All India Institute for Medical Sciences (AIIMS) based in New Delhi, undertaken as part of the National Programme for Control of Blindness & Visual Impairment, the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy amongst diabetics in India is 16.9%.² Of these, 3.6% have sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy. So, the magnitude of the problem is huge. Added to this is a gross lack of awareness about getting the eyes examined for diabetic changes. As many as 89.9% of people with diabetes in India have never had their eyes examined for diabetic changes.³