30,000 Undetected Sight Loss Cases Treatable
Release Date: Oct 9th, 2008
The full report provides vital new information about sight loss and highlights key issues for the public in relation to eye health. The report aims to crucially raise awareness for the services available through VISPA and the support that is available to the general public. It is based on six recently published, large scale, community based surveys of occular disease.
Among the new findings highlighted are:
• An estimated 30,000 people over 45 years of age in the Republic of Ireland suffering from sight loss as a result of not having the appropriate spectacle correction.
• Approximately 9,500 people that are known to be legally blind in the Republic of Ireland (figure increases to 13,000 people if those known to NCBI as blind and vision impaired are included)
• From the data that is currently available, these figures would appear to underestimate the true extent of blindness by 30-40%.
• The number of adults in contact with NCBI increased by a figure of 37% between 1996 and 2003.
Annual Costs of Sight Loss
• The annual cost of providing comprehensive care for the main causes of vision loss and vision impairment is estimated to be between €300 million (using data from the USA) and €550 million (based on Australian data).
• A significant proportion of these costs relate to expenditure on health care service utilisation including all healthcare staff, equipment, drug costs, and procedures. Other costs arise from hospital admissions due to falls, fractured bones, accidents and depression associated with vision impairment.
• The annual cost of blindness or vision impairment to the state is estimated to be between €100 - €200 million per annum (based on UK data - mainly linked to social benefits and productivity losses).
• Due to underestimation of registration by up to 30 – 40%, the true cost may be between €140 and €280 million per annum.
PROJECTIONS
• Using WHO definitions, the number of blind persons in Ireland aged 55 years + is set to increase:
- by 43% (3,800 to 5,500) over the 10 year period, 2006 to 2016
- by 116% (3,800 to 8,200) over the 20 year period, 2006 to 2026
- by 170% (3,800 to 10,300) over the 25 year period, 2006 to 2031
Using WHO definitions, the number of vision impaired persons in Ireland aged 55 years + is set to increase:
- by 45% (11,000 to 16,000) over the 10 year period, 2006 to 2016
- by 125% (11,000 to 25,000) over the 20 year period, 2006 to 2026
- by 180% (11,000 to 31,000) over the 25 year period, 2006 to 2031
The current statistics and trends on Cataracts, Glaucoma, AMD, Diabetic Eye Diseases, Retinitis Pigmentosa & Childhood Blindness are also included in this comprehensive update/study.
Brian Allen, Chairman of VISPA said,
“Our aim on World Sight Day is to raise awareness about the importance of eye health care and the need for people to ensure that they get regular eye tests. The report that we are publishing today estimates the number of people affected by blindness and vision impairment in Ireland will grow enormously over the next twenty years. We will be speaking to government in the coming weeks and months to ensure that we get the appropriate funding and support to ensure we can meet this huge increase in demand for our services.”
VISPA is recommending a full epidemiological opthalmic study that can build on the findings of this report 'Eyes of the Future Ireland'.
VISPA members comprise of Fighting Blindness, Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind, NCBI (National Council for the Blind of Ireland) and St. Joseph’s Centre for the Visually Impaired.
Read the full report
For more information please click on www.vispa.ie