An integrated approach to address Diabetic Retinopathy in a rural district of Bangladesh

This thesis focuses on diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening programs in rural Bangladesh, assessing the awareness of DR among healthcare workers, teachers, community leaders, and people with diabetes. The study reveals a lack of knowledge about DR among these key groups, emphasizing the need for educational interventions to improve awareness and prevention through routine screening programs. The research also evaluates the accuracy of DR screening using retinal imaging by non-ophthalmologists, demonstrating that primary care physicians can achieve moderate accuracy with online training and exploring the potential of involving general physicians in grading retinal photos to overcome resource limitations in rural areas.