Among the main causes: glaucoma, maculopathy, retinopathy, cataract, uncorrected vision deficit. In one out of two cases, severe visual impairment could be prevented, according to the WHO
Serious eye problems due to eye diseases such as glaucoma, maculopathy, diabetic retinopathy, cataract but also vision impairment at a distance because of a uncorrected refractive error o near vision impairment caused by presbyopia
not correct: about 2 percent of Italians aged 15 and over suffer from it, but the severe visual limitations increase with age, reaching 5.6 per cent of those over 65 and well 8 percent of the over 75s. On the other hand, 16.7% of the population suffers from moderate limitations in sight, a percentage that reaches 28.8% among those over 65 and 33.9% among those over 75. If you add moderate to severe visual limitations, overall, 18.6% of the population suffers from it, percentage that rises to 33.8% among the over-65s and al 41.9% among the over seventy-five year oldsThis is revealed by the Report on the state of implementation of policies on the prevention of blindness, education and vision rehabilitation (2019 data), recently sent by the Ministry of Health to Parliament.
Lights and shadows
The Report analyzes and illustrates, pursuant to Law no. 284 of 1997 Provisions for the prevention of blindness and for vision rehabilitation the activities carried out in 2018 by the Ministry of Health, by the Italian Section of the International Agency for the Prevention of Cecit-IAPB Italia onlus, together with the Polo Nazionale dei Servizi and Research for Blindness Prevention and Vision Rehabilitation, and by Regional Centers.
If Italy atworld avant-garde in vision prevention and rehabilitationthe report reads, presents for yet different criticalities and inhomogeneities at the regional level, also due to the lack of funding. what emerges from there, for example, shows a regional disparity in the territorial distribution of rehabilitation centres.
Diseases related to ageing
According to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO) on blindness and low vision, at least 2.2 billion people worldwide have a visual impairment, of which at least one billion have a visual impairment that could have been prevented or was not addressed. The number of people affected by low vision increasing for many reasons including, in particular, as regards our country – as stated in the ministerial report – the progressive increase in life expectancy, which has led to a greater spread of eye diseases related to agingsuch as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, retinal vascular disease. The great scientific and technological advances in ophthalmology recorded in recent decades have also had an influence, which have led to a reduction in patients destined for blindness, but which, at the same time, have led to an increase in subjects with partial residual vision, insufficient to guarantee the maintenance of complete autonomy.
Watch out for the children
Severe vision problems in the developmental age they can limit learning and neuro-psychomotor development. Yet, the report points out, the majority of children perform the first checkup only around the age of 7while hardly paying attention to age range of 3-4, which instead represents the most appropriate time to carry out prevention. In Italy for the pediatric range there are highly qualified centers with a long tradition. However, for visual rehabilitation there are still some critical issues, such as phomogeneous distribution of specialized centers throughout the countrythat often forces families to make long and expensive journeys.
The consequences in adults
The visual impairment in adults it affects the quality of life, independence, mobility and autonomy – the report underlines – . Loss of vision also increases the risk of mortality, the risk of falls and injuries, and can lead to social isolation and others psychological issues, psychological problems.
The prevention of low vision and visual rehabilitation they therefore represent a priority aspect in the field of public health. Healthcare intervention must include prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, however, the ministerial report highlights, there is a regional disparity in the application of law no. 284/97. Regarding rehabilitation centers, some Regions have favored a more widespread presence of the centers themselveswhile others have tried to centralize them. As many as eight Regions and the two Autonomous Provinces have declared that they have only one centre. This entails that many patients they are forced to move to extra-regional structures to receive assistance.
February 3, 2023 (change February 3, 2023 | 3:53 pm)
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