L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Hyderabad, a not-for-profit, non-government, public-spirited, comprehensive eye care institution has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, to establish newborn eye screening and retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) control in the state. This will help to identify serious eye problems in the newborn that often get diagnosed very late and to eliminate ROP blindness.

ROP is one of the major emerging causes of childhood blindness in India and leads to incurable vision loss in prematurely born and low birth weight babies. WHO has identified ROP as one of its key areas for preventing childhood blindness under its Vision 2020, Right to Sight programme.

Speaking on the occasion of the launch of the Neonatal Eye Screening and ROP Control in Andhra Pradesh (NES & ROP-CAP) Programme, Dr T Geeta Prasadini, in-charge director of Public Health, Government of Andhra Pradesh said, “The Government of India has allotted Rs. 168.80 lakhs towards the Programme Implementation Plan for the Year 2012-13 to establish Newborn Eye Screening and the ROP-CAP programme in the state for this period. With the programme implemented under the able guidance of LVPEI faculty, we are happy to extend support to ensure that no newborn baby including premature babies in Andhra Pradesh be needlessly blind or visually impaired by 2020.”

The objective behind establishing Neonatal Eye Screening (NES) and ROP-CAP includes: Regional Institutes of Ophthalmology (RIO) use portable equipments for ROP screening and prophylactic laser treatment, community NICU based centres for screening, training and education of manpower at LVPEI and NES for all newborns in the state community delivery centres.

General ophthalmologists, retinal surgeons, paediatricians, neonatologists and the nursing staff involved, from the Andhra Pradesh, will be trained and empowered in the diagnosis and management of premature babies for ROP and screening for all other newborns for any early onset eye problems. Training will also be imparted to paediatricians and the concerned nurses to identify babies at risk and facilitate speedy referral to trained eye and retinal surgeons. The training will be conducted at LVPEI and at the district level through CME programmes/workshops focusing on increasing the awareness on ROP and neonatal eye problems.

Other common conditions affecting any newborn include corneal infections and opacities, congenital cataracts, lid and lacrimal system abnormalities, glaucoma, tumours and globe malformations and the emerging epidemic of ROP.