Bill Harvey: Transglobal underground

With the global population now above eight billion souls, there are some 16 billion human eyes on the planet. The number is predicted to peak at 20 billion by 2080, Putin allowing. Plenty of work for you all.

This week began with World Diabetes Day (November 14), which reminded us all that there are more than a billion eyes out there in people with diabetes. And, bearing in mind that there is thought to be the same number again in people with as yet undiagnosed diabetes, the potential for sight loss through this alarmingly common disease is truly frightening.

For this reason, the Access to Diabetes Care campaign is focusing on the importance of access to high quality, up-to-date education, both for healthcare professionals and people living with diabetes. Even if you disagree with a ‘nanny state’ approach to restricting access to ultra-processed food stuffs and encouraging access to exercise resources, you cannot disagree with the fact that eye care professionals are perfectly placed to help disseminate information about the signs and symptoms of diabetes and the best ways to minimise future risk of problems.