Primary Investigators: Arthur Brant, MD, Stanford Byers Eye Institute; Akwasi Ahmed MD, MS, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital

Research Team: Prithvi Mruthyunjaya, MD, MHS, Stanford Byers Eye Institute; Geoffrey Tabin, MD, Stanford Byers Eye Institute

Funders: Department of Ophthalmology, Center for Innovation in Global Health

Today, many patients in the world go irreversibly blind because they live in regions of the world without adequate screening and programs to address diseases with well-established treatment in the US, such as diabetic retinopathy. The researchers involved with this winning seed grant hope to eliminate this inequity and preserve sight for diabetic patients globally through a low-cost screening and treatment program, starting in Kumasi, Ghana.

“I think we are entering a new chapter of Global Ophthalmology where low-cost fundus cameras enable cost-effective screening,” said Co-Primary Investigator Dr. Arthur Brant. “We believe that our pilot in Ghana may serve as a cornerstone for proving a model to prevent blindness from diabetic retinopathy globally.”

Image courtesy of Arthur Brant