Urgent Action Needed to Combat the Global Rise in AMD-Related Blindness

FIG 1. AMD ACTION - Representatives of the world's leading vision, seniors, and research organizations gather around the "Call to Action Pledge Board"

The report is the result of an international Summit which brought together more than 100 experts in age-related blindness, representing the world's leading vision, seniors and research organizations.

Today's report builds on the Global call to action developed at the Summit. download PDF

"We call upon governments, medical, professional and consumer groups to recognise the increasing burden of AMD-related blindness and to address the crisis with urgency by promoting and supporting:

• Education,
• Prevention,
• Early detection,
• Timely access to treatment for all,
• Rehabilitation and social services, and
• Research."

Steve Winyard, AMDAI Past Chairman and Head of Public Policy, Royal National Institute of the Blind, UK commented, "AMD hits particularly hard in areas with rapidly ageing populations, such as Europe. Each year there are an estimated 500,000 new cases of wet AMD worldwide, so it is crucially important to increase awareness and understanding of the disease so that people can make informed lifestyle choices to reduce both vision loss and associated costs. In the five largest countries in Europe, the average annual cost of AMD in the EU ranges between 700 million euros and three billion euros."

AMD affects between 25 and 30 million people globally and is the leading cause of blindness in developed countries. As the "baby boom" generation ages, the incidence of AMD is expected to triple by the year 2025. Patients with the wet form of AMD can become blind in as little as three months if not treated early.

Yet awareness and understanding of AMD is low. A recent European AMD awareness survey revealed 80 percent of the population had not heard of wet AMD and only 38 percent recognised smoking as a risk factor for the disease.

"Both the incidence and prevalence of AMD is increasing. There are new treatments becoming available that can help prevent vision loss but early treatment with these therapies is the key. It is therefore vital that physicians have access to safe, effective, licensed treatments that can really help maintain the independence of AMD patients for as long as possible," said Dr Alan Cruess, Professor and Head Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Dalhousie University, Canada.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The AMD Alliance International is a non-profit coalition of vision, research and seniors organisations working to raise awareness of AMD, of treatment and rehabilitation options and of the importance of early detection. Alliance membership currently includes 55 non-profit organisations from 21 countries, including world-renowned leaders in ophthalmology, vision rehabilitation, patient and senior's advocacy, and research.

The AMD Global meetings have been developed in partnership and with the support of world leading ophthalmologists and advocacy groups. The Global Steering Committee comprises Dr Hugh Taylor (Australia), Dr Alan Cruess (Canada), Prof Usha Chakravarthy (Ireland), Prof Frank Holz (Germany), RNIB (UK), Macular Degeneration Foundation (Australia), CNIB (Canada), Retina International, Pro Retina Germany, IAPB Italy and Retina France International.

The AMD Awareness Survey was conducted in February 2006. The countries included were the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Italy and Canada and involved 3,675 respondents. The survey was designed to examine the level of awareness of AMD including its symptoms and modifiable risk factors.

The AMD Global Meetings have been made possible with funding from Pfizer Ophthalmics.