Improving Detection and Management of Glaucoma and Other Eye Diseases Among High Risk Populations

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The purpose of this notice of funding opportunity is to identify and implement innovative strategies to better engage, detect, and manage glaucoma and other eye diseases among vulnerable populations, in community-based settings, for replication and scaling in the US. This NOFO will be accomplished with two components; Component A: Community-Based Interventions with Vulnerable Populations and Component B: Coordinating Center to provide logistics and support to the research study.Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among African Americans and the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. An estimated 2.2 to 2.7 million people in the United States have the disease. Due to its asymptomatic nature, half of people with glaucoma are unaware of their condition, increasing the severity of the disease. However, once detected, appropriate treatment and management can slow glaucoma progression and preserve the remaining vision, but cannot restore lost vision.Given the low general population prevalence of glaucoma, broad general population screening appears not to be cost-effective, and the marginal results from glaucoma screenings in high-risk population, it is reasonable to reach out to groups with higher prevalence (African Americans over age 40, Asians, older people [aged 65+ years] especially older Hispanics, those with a family history of glaucoma, and those with diabetes).

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