Ophthalmologists ring alarm bells on accelerated vision loss on World Retina Day 2024

chennai: on world retina day 2024, experts warn that the world is experiencing a growing epidemic of vision loss, with an estimated one billion people living with visual impairments. urgent action is essential to address this public health crisis.alarmingly, 90% of blindness cases are preventable or treatable. retinal diseases, including diabetic retinopathy (dr), diabetic macular edema (dme), and neovascular age-related macular degeneration (namd), pose a significant threat to vision. currently, 21 million people suffer from dme, a leading cause of vision loss among working-age adults, while namd affects 20 million seniors. india alone accounts for one-third of the world's blind population, with over 11 million individuals affected by retinal disorders.the socio-economic burden of vision loss is staggering, with global productivity losses of $410.9 billion in 2020 alone. despite improvements in cataract and glaucoma management through initiatives like the national program for control of blindness & visual impairment (npcbvi), there is an urgent need to enhance focus on retinal health. retinal disorders have increased significantly, from 4.7% to 8% of blindness cases in india from 2010 to 2019.barriers to effective treatment include a shortage of trained specialists, lack of standardized protocols, and limited public awareness about retinal health. innovative therapies targeting both the vegf and ang-2 pathways are essential to stabilize retinal blood vessels and prevent irreversible vision loss. as dr. girish rao and dr. pramod bhende emphasize, a concerted effort involving policy changes, awareness initiatives, and advanced treatments is vital to combat this growing challenge.