Nayanamritham 2.0

Why in News?

• The Kerala government has launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-assisted chronic eye disease screening programme 'Nayanamritham 2.0'.
  • Through this initiative, the Kerala government is integrating artificial intelligence into the public health system.
  • It will provide advanced eye screening facilities to people across the state.

Key Points:

• Nayanamritham 2.0 aims to detect serious eye diseases at an early stage.
• It is the world's first government AI-powered eye screening programme.
• The Kerala government launched it in collaboration with Remedio health-tech company.
• Its first version focused on screening for diabetic retinopathy at Family Health Centres (FHCs).
• Nayanamritam 2.0 will also enable identification of diseases like Glaucoma and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) along with Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).
• It has now been implemented in Community Health Centres, Taluk Hospitals and District Hospitals as well.

Eye Diseases:

Glaucoma:

• It is a chronic eye disease in which the optic nerve of the eye gets damaged and can lead to vision loss.
• It is usually caused by increased internal pressure of the eyes (Intra-Ocular Pressure - IOP).

Diabetic Retinopathy:

• It is a serious eye disease caused due to diabetes.
• If not treated on time, it can lead to blindness.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD):

• It is an eye disease that affects the central part of the retina (macula) mainly in old age.
• It can cause gradual or rapid loss of vision.
• It causes difficulty in reading, writing, recognizing faces and seeing clearly.

Remidio Health-Tech Company:

• This Indian company develops cutting-edge AI-enabled medical devices for early detection and screening of eye diseases.
• The company focuses on preventing blindness and providing affordable eye health solutions.