Screening for diabetic retinopathy in primary care: Future prospects in low-middle income countries

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is an urgent public health concern, and it is prudent to prevent DR than face the burden of blindness arising from it. This requires committed physicians, ophthalmologists, patients as well as policy makers. Blindness rate due to DR has shown a decline in developed countries which is not only due to advanced and accessible tertiary care, but also large-scale screening programmes. Currently, the most common method of screening in low- and middle-income countries is still an opportunistic model. A more practical, cost-effective and systematic screening model is needed, utilizing advances in telemedicine and artificial intelligence.