IN commemoration of World Sight Day 2024, the Ministry of Health together with stakeholders held a dissemination event and launch of the 2025-2030 Roadmap for Health Sight Efforts.
This roadmap is a revision of the 2017–2030 Roadmap for Combating Visual Impairment and Blindness, with several adjustments following changes in global and regional indicator targets, as well as the transformation of the health system in Indonesia.
This road map will serve as a guide for efforts to treat eye health problems in Indonesia, with one of the main focuses being diabetic retinopathy (RD).
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RD is one of the most common complications of diabetes and the main cause of visual impairment in the world. Currently, RD is a priority eye health problem in Indonesia because it causes various burdens, namely disease, social and financial burdens, along with the increasing number of diabetes sufferers.
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Solving RD problems in Indonesia requires a multi-dimensional approach with various areas of expertise. In line with this, this road map has formulated achievement targets for RD in Indonesia as well as several strategies, interventions and operational plans covering various pillars of the health system.
“Pentahelix collaboration will be very necessary in overcoming eye health problems in diabetes to be able to move all dimensions. “Therefore, a form of consortium that brings together various elements ranging from experts, central and regional policy makers, researchers, public and private health sector implementers, and the community, has a very important role in optimizing eye health in diabetes in Indonesia,” said Guru. Professor and Head of the Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine, Public Health and Nursing, Gadjah Mada University, Prof. Muhammad Bayu Sasongko.
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“In the spirit of mutual cooperation, we need to work together to maintain healthy vision and improve the quality of life for millions of diabetes sufferers in Indonesia,” he continued.
This diabetic eye health consortium will be an initiative and also a form of commitment to integrate promotive, preventive, screening, early detection and management of diabetic eye disease into a national health strategy aimed at reducing the burden of visual impairment due to diabetes which continues to increase in Indonesia.
Diabetic eye disease: a public health problem in Indonesia
Speaking to the media, Prof Bayu explained, RD is a form of diabetes complication, when high sugar levels ultimately cause damage to the blood vessels of the eye’s retina, especially in tissues that are sensitive to light.
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This condition can affect anyone who suffers from type 1 or 2 diabetes, especially those whose blood sugar is not controlled and who have suffered from diabetes for a long time.
At first, RD often shows only mild symptoms or even no symptoms at all. However, if left untreated, RD can cause blindness.
Therefore, diabetes sufferers are always advised to have routine eye examinations at least once a year even if they do not experience any eye complaints.
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In Indonesia, RD has become a very important public health problem, because it impacts not only the quality of diabetes management but also the quality of life, work productivity, and increases the overall burden on health services.
Despite many advances in screening, diagnosis and treatment, 75% of people with diabetes still do not receive the necessary screening for diabetes-related visual impairment.
WHO targets that at least 80% of diabetes sufferers in all countries have regular eye screening.
In Indonesia’s Vision Health Effort Roadmap 2025 – 2030, it is targeted that by 2030 not only will 80% of diabetes sufferers be screened, but also at least 60% of diabetic individuals with eye disorders will have received appropriate treatment.
Comprehensive policy to reduce the burden of Diabetic Retinopathy
The increasing number of younger people with diabetes will increase diabetes complications in the future, including an increase in cases of sight-threatening RD which is expected to reach 5 million people by 2025.
If left untreated, this disease will become a burden on the health system due to blindness and loss of productivity.
The estimated total financing burden due to RD is expected to increase to IDR 138 trillion in 2025 from the previous IDR 38 trillion or 2% of total health costs in 2017. This figure shows that the government cannot rule out the potential for an increase in the burden of RD as a consequence of increasing diabetes cases and must take action. effective and comprehensive health policies to identify, engage and carry out ongoing monitoring of those at risk of diabetes-related eye disease.
In the Indonesian Vision Health Effort Roadmap 2025-2030, the integration of promotive, preventive, screening and early detection activities for diabetic retinopathy into community activities and primary health services will be very important in increasing the coverage of early detection and early treatment which can ultimately reduce the burden of the disorder. vision and blindness in diabetes patients in Indonesia.
“By bringing together various sectors, expertise and forming new partnerships in a consortium with the vision of reducing the burden of RD in Indonesia, a model of data-based advocacy, mobilization at the community level, and increasing engagement at the policy level to drive change to achieve significant results will be formed before 2030,” concluded Prof Bayu. (Z-1)
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