RANZCO contributes to avoidable blindness work in the Pacific

Today the Diabetes Eye Clinic in Suva, Fiji opened, representing a significant milestone in increasing local capacity for the management of patients with diabetic retinopathy as a part of the standard diabetic health check. This will facilitate the opportunity for early detection, patient education and follow-up of diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of blindness in the Pacific Island region. Recent population based data shows that 27.2% of known diabetics and 4.2% of newly diagnosed diabetics in Fiji have retinopathyi.

Good management of diabetes and hypertension significantly reduces the risk for diabetic retinopathy. Furthermore, early detection and treatment of established retinopathy can greatly reduce the risk for visual loss. “We need to screen all diabetics in order to catch the retinopathy really early, and educate them,” said Dr Biu Sikivou, ophthalmologist in-charge of the Clinic.

The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) partners with the Pacific Eye Institute and The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ to support the Diabetes Eye Clinic. The Pacific Eye Institute trains ophthalmologists and ophthalmic nurses for the Pacific region. Diabetes, and its eye complications, is a huge regional problem. Screening and treating diabetic retinopathy requires highly organized health-care systems, well-trained personnel and sophisticated equipment. The RANZCO involvement is funded by AusAID through the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and the Vision2020 Global Consortium.

Through coordinated RANZCO Fellow sub-specialty teaching visits, and the RANZCO teaching ophthalmologist based in Suva, Dr Gary Phelps, RANZCO is helping to support the clinical capacity building of Pacific Eye Institute ophthalmologists and trainees.

Professional standards are enhanced, benefiting the wider Pacific Islands region. “The collaboration also includes the provision of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, in particular tripling the number of lasers for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy. The old clinic only had the capacity to manage one fifth of the estimated diabetics requiring treatment. There is now increased capacity which should go some way to address the backlog of patients”, said RANZCO ophthalmologist Neil Murray.

Please contact Avril Cronk at RANZCO on 02 9690 1001 to arrange an interview.

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i Brian G, Diabetic Eye Disease among adults in Fiji with self reported diabetes, 2010                                    Brian G, Diabetic Eye Disease among adults in Fiji with previously undiagnosed diabetes, 2011