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.