International Collaboration for the Development of Clinical Guidelines in Low and Middle-income Countries: Case Study on the Development of a National Framework and Clinical Guidelines for Diabetic Retinopathy in Ghana

Background: Diabetic retinopathy is a leading cause of blindness in many countries across the world. Ghana has seen a rise in diabetic retinopathy and is working on various strategies to prevent blindness. Clinical guidelines are seen as a promising strategy for improving quality and reducing cost of care. Little is known about the processes of collaborative guideline development in the African context.

Methods: This case study discusses the process of developing clinical guidelines for diabetic retinopathy in Ghana via a collaboration with the Kenya team that had previously developed guidelines for Kenya.

Results: The main lesson learnt was the ability to overcome challenges. The main output achieved was the draft national framework, guidelines and training slides on the guidelines.

Conclusion: Horizontal international collaboration can aid development of clinical guidelines.