Associate Professor van Wijngaarden joined Diabetes Australia CEO Greg Johnson in Melbourne at the weekend to launch KeepSight, a new national diabetes eye screening program.

He also features in a series of videos explaining KeepSight and the importance of regular eye screening for people with diabetes.

Diabetes is the leading cause of preventable blindness in working-age Australians but research shows around 630,000 people with diabetes are not having regular eye checks.

Associate Professor van Wijngaarden said KeepSight would stop people with diabetes falling through the cracks because they missed vital eye examinations.

“As an eye doctor I have the misfortune of seeing people with diabetes coming for their very fist eye check with end stage disease and that’s devastating when most vision loss and blindness can be prevented by early detection,’’ he says.

People registered with KeepSight will receive alerts when it’s time to have an eye test, as well as general information about eye health and how to make an appointment. Health professionals are also being encouraged to register for the scheme to help their patients.

For more information about KeepSight

Read the Diabetes Australia media release New national program to curb rates of preventable blindness in 1.3 million Australians or visit the KeepSight website.