As retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) continues to rise globally, disparities in screening, diagnosis, and access to care remain a pressing challenge—especially in regions where resources, clinical practices, and awareness vary widely. The World ROP Congress is bringing together ROP specialists from around the globe in conjunction with FLORetina 2025–International Congress on OCT and OCT Angiography (ICOOR) from 4 to 7 December in Florence, Italy.

Rajvardhan Azad, MD, FRCSed, FAMS, FAAPPO, FAICO, president of the World ROP Council organising committee, outlined the group’s mission to unify expertise, foster collaboration, and promote technologies that can help bridge these gaps. Azad is also professor emeritus at the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India.

In this Q&A, the Eye Care Network spoke with Azad about the council’s key priorities, the challenges of harmonising guidelines across diverse health care systems, and the expanding role of telemedicine, artificial intelligence (AI), and paediatric imaging technologies in standardising care. Azad also shares insights on cross-disciplinary collaboration and the broader societal impact of advancing global ROP initiatives.

Note: Transcript edited for clarity and length.

What are the World ROP Council’s current priorities in addressing global ROP disparities?

Rajvardhan Azad, MD, FRCSed, FAMS, FAAPPO, FAICO: My first priority is to bring all ROP experts on 1 platform with the following objectives:

• To look for any commonality in clinical presentations, risk factors, and management protocols
• To encourage exchange among faculty and residents for teaching and research
• To promote technology to supplement the clinical services in screening and diagnosis of ROP

Hence, our objectives drive the priorities as mentioned above.

How do you coordinate guidelines across regions with differing resources?

Azad: It’s a very good question but it’s very difficult to answer, the reason being varied geographical areas and clinical presentations, and availability of diagnostic tools besides awareness and affordability.

What role does telemedicine play in expanding ROP screening worldwide?

Azad: Telemedicine plays a very important role in overall management of ROP. Starting from diagnosis to management, telemedicine is playing a major role in detecting and preventing blindness due to ROP. However, we need to take it up at a larger scale, and if I say that, we can plan a multinational study to see the utility and efficiency of this system.

Are there emerging technologies that could standardise care globally?

Azad: Yes, we have the pediatric fundus camera which has revolutionised ROP care globally. I believe AI and IT can become wonderful tool[s] to help us standardise the ROP care at a global level.

How do you measure success in these initiatives beyond clinical outcomes?

Azad: Beyond clinical outcomes, measuring our success will mean how good is [the] awareness programme and its societal impact. This is another area where we can work and bring out fruitful results.

What’s the biggest opportunity you see in bringing together FLORetina and World ROP Congress audiences?

Azad: It’s a win-win situation for both the meetings [taking place] together. The reason being, [it brings a] larger audience [to] listen to [a] wide range of topics and especially for residents and fellows to take important learning notes back home.

Which cross-disciplinary topics do you think will be most impactful at this year’s World ROP Congress?

Azad: I think neonatologists, obstetricians, and gynecologist are the natural allies of ROP experts, and topics related to prevention and modulation in management in the light of changing maternal and neonatal factors.

Rajvardhan Azad, MD, FRCSed, FAMS, FAAPPO, FAICO
E: [email protected]
Azad is president of World ROP Council organizing committee and professor emeritus of the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology, Indira Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Patna, Bihar, India.