Recently causes of blindness are changing in Nepal. The number of people blind due to retinal diseases is increasing. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR), hypertensive retinopathy, and retinal vein occlusion are the major retinal problems in Nepal. As the prevalence of vitreoretinal disorders is increasing with age, it indicates that retinal disorders will be a major public health issue with longevity in future[1].
A rapid assessment of blindness conducted in 2010 had reported posterior segment problems as the second common cause of blindness, after cataract in Nepal[2]. Retinal diseases are very difficult to treat. Results from low-income countries show that many patients present only when they lose vision in both eyes. Delay in presentation was acknowledged as a significant problem and is often due to inadequate primary eye care and to misdiagnosis. Thus, it was highlighted that all ophthalmologists should be trained to recognize and manage retina problems. As blindness from DR is preventable, if caught and treated early, DR provides an excellent opportunity for secondary prevention strategies, such as screenings[3]. So, early diagnoses and preventions are very important.
The projected population of Province 3 and 4 in Nepal is 60, 26,626, and 24, 72,494 respectively in the year 2016. There are altogether 6 tertiary retina care centers in Province 3 and 1 tertiary retina center in province 4 of Nepal to cover that much of the population. But, few eye doctors can treat patients with retinal diseases in Nepal. It is also necessary to train ophthalmic assistants, optometrists, ophthalmic nurses, and other health workers who can assist the treatment of retinal diseases. So, strengthening retina eye care services is very important in Nepal.
Retina Eye Care of Nepal (RECON) project was a joint program of BP Eye Foundation, Kathmandu, Nepal, and Tokushima University, Japan to strengthen 3 retina centers in Province 1 and 1 retina center in province 4. The project duration was from May 2016 to February 2019. The purpose of RECON was to strengthen retina eye care services in Nepal by training ophthalmic human resources, enhancing retina eye care facilities, and conducting retina-screening camp.