Archive · 17 Dec 2025
India Launches AI Tool for Diabetes-Related Vision Screening
India has started a new program to help people with diabetes check their eyes for a condition called Diabetic Retinopathy.
This condition can cause vision loss if not treated early.
The program uses a special computer program called AI to look at pictures of the back of the eye and find problems.
Doctors and nurses will use this tool to check people's eyes in different parts of the country.
The program will start in seven places, including big cities and smaller towns.
People who are found to have problems will be sent to special doctors for treatment.
This program is important because many people with diabetes have never had their eyes checked, and this can help catch problems early.
India has launched an AI-driven community screening programme for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) to curb vision loss due to diabetes.
The initiative is a collaboration between the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences (RPC), AIIMS, and the eHealth AI Unit of the Health Ministry.
The programme will be implemented in seven locations across India, covering metropolitan, rural, hilly, coastal, and remote regions.
Trained medical officers will use the MadhuNetrAI tool to screen, grade, and triage retinal images captured using handheld fundus cameras.
The system generates real-time data on disease prevalence and geographic distribution to support evidence-based planning and policy formulation.
- Who
- Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences (RPC), AIIMS, eHealth AI Unit of the Health Ministry
- What
- Launch of an AI-driven community screening programme for Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)
- When
- Not specified (recent launch)
- Where
- Pilot locations include Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Dharamshala, Gaya, Jorhat, and Kochi
- Why
- To strengthen early detection of diabetic eye disease and build a real-time national health intelligence framework
- Initiative Name
- MadhuNetrAI
- Organizations Involved
- Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences (RPC), AIIMS, eHealth AI Unit of the Health Ministry
- Pilot Locations
- Pune, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Dharamshala, Gaya, Jorhat, Kochi
- Target Population
- Diabetic patients, especially those aged 50 and above
- Technology Used
- Web-based AI tool for automated screening, grading, and triaging of retinal images
- Prevalence of Diabetic Retinopathy
- 17% among diabetic population aged 50 and above
- Percentage of Diabetics Screened
- 10% (only about 10% of people with diabetes had ever undergone a retinal examination for diabetic retinopathy)