“Then there is the considerable economic burden of blindness and vision loss to society to consider. “In the EU-11 the four eye diseases affect approximately 1 in 10 people, and these conditions don’t only impact those directly affected, but their carers, family members and friends,” said Professor Banks. These interventions include anti-VEGF treatment as standard of care for wet AMD, appropriate early detection, prevention and treatment options such as screening for cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma followed by treatment.
The study concludes that each cost-effective intervention can off-set economic costs in the range of 2 to 3 billion Euro.
Blindness and the eye diseases are estimated to result in annual economic costs of approximately €8bn and €24bn respectively, across the countries studied. O Wet age-related macular degeneration (wet AMD) 2,013,228īlindness and the four eye diseases lead to a significant reduction in well-being equivalent to 123 million workdays lost per year. The topline results from the study, conducted by the independent health economics group, Deloitte Access Economics, can be accessed via the interactive analytical tool for blindness and vision impairment, which is available here. “The key consideration and the direct call to action from this report is that investing in earlier and more targeted interventions – for example screening for diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma followed by treatment, anti-VEGF treatment as standard of care for wet AMD – would lead to a healthier population and help alleviate the cost of blindness,” said Professor Ian Banks, Chairman of European Men’s Health Forum (EMHF) and EFAB. On World Sight Day (9 October), the European Forum Against Blindness (EFAB) revealed the results of an eleven-country study (an extension to the data reported last year covering six countries) which reports on the economic impact of blindness and four leading eye sight conditions, and which concluded that blindness and vision loss lead to a reduced quality of life and increased economic burden to society. Cost-effective interventions offset economic costs, estimated to be more than €32 billion. An improved quality of life can be gained by investing in screening programmes, earlier diagnoses and adequate treatment of retinal conditions. Eleven country EU study shows that proactive intervention to prevent and treat eye disease would lead to a healthier and more productive population.
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