World Retina Week is traditionally held in the first week of November. The attention of the scientific community is focused on drawing attention to retinal diseases, which are considered the most dangerous of all visual impairments.

Every year on November 14, World Diabetes Day is celebrated. Today, there are more than 385 million people in the world with diabetes, and its sharp rise over the past decade has far exceeded the forecasts of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). That is why this disease is a global medical and social problem. In Ukraine, the prevalence of diabetes, according to the International Diabetes Federation, is 7.3%. This disease remains one of the main causes of decreased vision and irreversible blindness in the population of developed countries, including Ukraine.

Diabetic retinopathy is a nonspecific vascular complication of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes that is the most common cause of new cases of blindness in patients aged 20-74 years. Patients with diabetes are 25 times more likely to go blind than the rest of the population, and in recent years their number in Ukraine has been growing steadily.

As part of the World Retina Week and Diabetes Day, Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Professor Sergiy Rykov, made a number of appearances on television and in the press to inform the public about the possibilities of early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of this category of diseases, which are available for viewing at the links:

• Diabetic retinopathy of children with diabetes. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chtz0ff1vIE
• Diabetes and diabetic retinopathy. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gDi-0fwxpA
• Diseases of the retina. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jdamj7Nqfg
• Treatment of the retina. – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbSAaAniCj4&t=1306s

Professor Iryna Shargorodska held a round table on the Zoom platform for ophthalmologists and pediatric ophthalmologists in Chernihiv, Cherkasy and Zhytomyr regions, as well as a speech on the national channel, which addressed issues of combating and preventing retinal diseases, complications of diabetes. Information can be viewed at the link: https://youtu.be/xTu7zsiwFy0

 Professor Oksana Petrenko conducted a series of thematic improvement "Visual Injuries" for ophthalmologists and pediatric ophthalmologists from all over Ukraine, during which the issues of diabetes, diabetic changes in vision, traumatic complications and inflammatory eye diseases under COVID-19. Their diagnosis and treatment.

Also, Professor Sergiy Mogilevskyy and Associate Professor Iuliia Panchenko are planning a cycle of thematic improvement for ophthalmologists and pediatric ophthalmologists "Laser methods of treatment in ophthalmology" from December 15 to 30. New practical classes have been prepared using the Zoom platform to improve skills and abilities in the diagnosis and treatment of major disabling retinal pathologies – diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, central serous chorioretinopathy, retinal vascular occlusion, etc. The cycle completion plan can be viewed at the link: https://nuozu.edu.ua/s/np/k/oftalmolohii/kalendarnyi-plan-tsykliv/tsykl-tematychnoho-udoskonalennia-lazerni-metody-likuvannia-v-oftalmolohii