Diabetes Australia and OPSM have partnered to raise awareness of the links between diabetes and eye health in Australia. Together they aim to promote prevention and early detection of diabetes-related eye disease, such as diabetic retinopathy – the leading cause of blindness in working age adults – and enhance levels of diabetes and eye health education among people living with diabetes and healthcare professionals.
Each day 280 Australians develop diabetes – one every five minutes.1
Without proper care, diabetes can lead to diabetes-related complications, such as eye-disease and potentially vision loss. Proactive, consistent diabetes management and care, as well as early detection, can help prevent or delay the onset of these diabetes-related complications. Early detection and treatment of diabetic eye disease can prevent up to 98 per cent of severe vision loss.2
References:
1. National Diabetes Services Scheme (NDSS) Statistics
2. Investing in Sight: Strategic Interventions to Prevent Vision Loss in Australia. Eye Research Australia (Access Economics Report, 2013)