Diabetes Association urges priority for eye health awareness

The Union of Associations of Persons with Diabetes of Macedonia (SZDSM) is calling for eye health to be prioritized on the public health agenda in observance of World Sight Day. The organization emphasizes that over 80 percent of cases of blindness and vision impairment can be prevented or effectively treated through prevention, timely diagnosis, and accessible treatment.

Diabetes can lead to severe ocular complications, including diabetic retinopathy and diabetic macular edema, which can result in significant vision loss. Other serious conditions include wet macular degeneration and retinal vein occlusion.

Regional data from six Central and Eastern European countries—Bulgaria, Hungary, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Poland, and Romania—reveals a significant gap in care. In these nations, only approximately 25 percent of patients with these conditions are diagnosed, and fewer than 15 percent receive treatment.