Diabetic retinopathy constitutes one of the severe complications caused by diabetes. In Cameroon, diabetic retinopathy occurs in 37.5% of people with diabetes. It is responsible for 3.2% of people with diabetes turning blind and 9.4% suffering from partial sight. The prevalence of diabetes is estimated at 6% of the adult population in Cameroon, compared with 40% for malaria or 5.5% for HIV among the sexually active population.Cameroon has developed a health sector strategy (2001-2010) to reduce mortality among Cameroon's population by one-third. Disease prevention and control programs have been formulated, including a National Program for Prevention of Blindness. This program aims to reduce the prevalence of blindness linked to diabetes and high blood pressure by 50% by 2020.The project seeks to prevent, screen, and treat diabetes-related ophthalmic complications to reduce the incidence of blindness linked to diabetes.
This government project is led by the Ministry of Public Health and supported jointly by the National Program for the Prevention of Blindness and the National Diabetes/Hypertension Prevention and Control Program. Partners in the project include the Ministry of Public Health, the Cameroon Burden of Diabetes Project, the Cameroon Diabetes Association (ACADIA), and Geneva University Hospital.The project applies a two-pronged approach:1. Building Health Care Capacity: At the project's outset, advanced eye care was only available at the tertiary hospital in Douala. This project builds capacity for eye care in a total of four existing public health facilities in the cities of Yaoundé, Bamenda, and Garoua. Staff and facilities are allocated by the Ministry of Public Health and the participating health facilities. Eye care facilities will commence operation following the training of relevant staff (ophthalmologists, diabetologists, nurses, dietitians, and educators) and the provision of advanced equipment to the health facilities. Training will be done by local experts and Geneva University Hospital, which will also provide technical support through telemedicine. All diabetes patients visiting the existing diabetes clinics are systematically directed to the eye care facility for registration and regular, nurse-led check-ups.2. Public Awareness: The project arranges targeted awareness campaigns and uses peer educators recruited within the Cameroon Diabetes Association, ACADIA. The peer educators are trained to ensure the spreading of awareness and social mobilization in the local communities.Data will be compiled by the head nurse in the eye care facility every month and sent to the project coordinator.
- More than 20 doctors trained as specialists in eye care, 10 nurses trained and 243 paramedics, educators and other trained- Increased awareness amongst patients as they now come earlier to ophthalmic department for eye screening- 12,356 patients screened - 6,992 angiographies realized- 1,625 photocoagulations conducted.