India launches AI-driven community screening for diabetic retinopathy

New Delhi, Dec 17 (IANS) In a bid to curb the rising vision loss cases due to diabetes, India has launched the first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven community screening programme for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).

The initiative is launched by the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), in collaboration with the Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences (RPC), AIIMS, and the eHealth AI Unit of the Health Ministry.

It "marks a significant step towards strengthening early detection of diabetic eye disease and building a real-time national health intelligence framework", said the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Trained medical officers, nursing staff, and healthcare assistants will conduct screening using MadhuNetrAI -- the web-based AI tool developed by RPC.

The platform facilitates automated screening, grading, and triaging of retinal images captured using handheld fundus cameras.

The system also generates real-time data on disease prevalence and geographic distribution, supporting evidence-based planning and policy formulation.

“As part of the pilot phase, the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) will implement the initiative at seven locations -- Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Dharamshala, Gaya, Jorhat, and Kochi -- covering metropolitan, rural, hilly, coastal, and remote regions. Personnel from each site will undergo intensive training at RPC, AIIMS, followed by large-scale community screening,” the Ministry said.

Patients identified with diabetic retinopathy will be referred for optimal diabetic management. And cases of vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy will be referred to vitreo-retina specialists at designated district hospitals.

District health administrations will coordinate referral mechanisms and integrate DR management within existing non-communicable disease programmes to ensure continuity of care.

According to the National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey, 2019, conducted by RPC, nearly 12 per cent of the population aged 50 years and above had diabetes.

Among them, approximately 17 per cent had diabetic retinopathy. Alarmingly, only about 10 per cent of people with diabetes had ever undergone a retinal examination for diabetic retinopathy, reflecting a significant gap in early detection and preventive care.

The new initiative is envisaged as a scalable and replicable model, demonstrating effective integration of AI-enabled solutions into public health systems through the combined efforts of AFMS, AIIMS, and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, the MoD said.