A regional workshop on planning for the control and prevention of blindness due to diabetic retinopathy was organized by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean, in collaboration with IMPACT/EMR and the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness. The meeting took place in Cairo, Egypt, from 20 to 22 November 2006. The objectives of the workshop were to:
review the current situation and increasing prevalence of diabetes and the burden of blindness arising from diabetes mellitus and its resultant complications in Member States of the Eastern Mediterranean Region;
review eye care issues related to diabetes, including current practices and progress achieved by some Member States, and discuss the constraints faced by countries in the field of management of eye care in diabetes;
establish the concept of teamwork and partnerships at all levels for the primary prevention and management of diabetes and its complications, and for patient and public education;
establish technical cooperation between Member States in the field of training and the management of diabetic retinopathy and operational research; and
review evidence-based practice guidelines for the management of diabetic retinopathy and recommendations arising out of the last global and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meetings and consider possible implementation in all Member States in the Region.
