The Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association (SLBWA) will commemorate the observance of Diabetes Awareness Month by launching a public awareness campaign for the National Diabetic Retinopathy Screening and Treatment Program in Saint Lucia.
The screening and treatment program will be promoted via various media platforms, and promotional paraphernalia all intended to raise public awareness about diabetic retinopathy.
Diabetic retinopathy is a serious condition which affects the eyes of people suffering with diabetes. It could potentially result in blindness. This condition affects many globally and is widely regarded as a form of preventable blindness. With early screening and treatment, diabetic retinopathy can be detected and treated appropriately, thus averting the loss of vision.
The primary mandate of the Saint Lucia Blind Welfare Association is to provide support to those with visual impairment and offer clinical eye care services that will screen, treat, and in some cases prevent blindness. One of these services is a walk in clinic where persons with diabetes can access professional eye examinations, diagnosis and treatment.
The screening and treatment program is funded by the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, the tenets of which are to eliminate “avoidable blindness.”
Technical support and oversight is provided by collaborating agencies and associated partners such as the Ministry of Health and Wellness, the Saint Lucia Diabetic Hypertensive Association (SLDHA), the Caribbean Council for the Blind, and Sight Savers.
Diabetes Awareness Month is observed annually in November.
