Climate change is putting pressure on Pacific families – and it’s affecting health in ways many of us don’t expect.
In Solomon Islands, as with other countries globally, extreme weather can destroy crops and disrupt farming, leading to food shortages. When supplies shrink, diets often shift towards highly processed foods — increasing the risk of diabetes.
Across the Pacific, diabetes rates are among the highest in the world (around 1 in 5 adults). But did you know diabetes and eyesight are connected too?
Diabetes can damage your eyes over time and cause vision loss or blindness. Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is now a leading cause of visual impairment and is overloading already stretched eye care services.
That’s why The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ supports diabetes eye care across the Pacific, working with local teams to detect and treat DR before sight is lost.
ThreeNews reporter Laura Tupou explores the serious flow-on effects of climate change on health, including eyesight, in the video above.
