30% Of Nigerians With Diabetes Have Retinopathy –SightSavers

About 30 per cent of Nigerians living with diabetes are affected by diabetic retinopathy, a leading cause of vision loss and blindness, the Programme Lead of SightSavers under the Plateau State Eye Health Programme, Dr. Joshua Ibenu, has said.

Dr. Ibenu disclosed this during a training session organised for nurses on the use of modern equipment for screening and early detection of the condition.

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that damages blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye, and can eventually lead to irreversible vision loss if not detected early.

According to Dr. Ibenu, treatment for the condition is often concentrated at tertiary health institutions, stressing the need to decentralise care to secondary health facilities and rural health centres to improve access.

He said SightSavers has been partnering with the Plateau State Government on the initiative, noting that the programme has recorded significant progress, leading to its extension from two to four years.

The Senior Global Technical Lead for Eye Health Supporting Africa at SightSavers, Dr. Nazaradeen Ibrahim, said many people living with diabetic retinopathy remain unaware of their condition, particularly in rural communities.

He said the organisation is starting on a small scale but plans to expand training for nurses to improve early detection and management at the grassroots level.

An ophthalmologist at the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), Dr. Naomi Sale, said individuals who have lived with diabetes for five years or more are at higher risk of developing retinopathy.

She expressed concern that diabetes is increasingly affecting younger people, attributing the trend to lifestyle choices, diet, and other behavioural factors.

One of the trainees, Nandak Gideon, described the training as timely and impactful, adding that diabetic retinopathy is preventable if detected early.