Set up of a technical table on maculopathies, the main cause of blindness among the over 75s

2023-05-19 16:56:41

Health Minister Orazio Schillaci signed the decree for the establishment of the Technical table on maculopathies. “We thank Minister Schillaci for signing the decree on the establishment of a Technical table to regulate the problems related to the large chapter of intravitreal injections for the treatment of maculopathiesamong the most current and urgent issues in the field of Italian ophthalmology”. So Teresio Avitabilepresident of the Italian Society of Ophthalmological Sciences (Siso)applauds the minister’s decision to sign the decree establishing the Technical Table for the in-depth study of issues concerning the development of intravitreal therapies in ophthalmology, just on the eve of his speech at the inaugural ceremony of the Siso Congress this morning in Rome.

“Currently – the ophthalmologists recall – very effective treatments have become available that inhibit the growth factors of new blood vessels that accelerate macular degeneration, an age-related disease that affects one in three people after the age of 75 and is among the main causes of blindness.However, indications are still lacking to define more appropriate therapeutic pathways for the management of this serious chronic pathology that the newly established Technical Committee will provide to fill”.

During his speech, the minister also expressed his “willingness to update the Lea and also to review the tariffs, in consideration of even more advanced treatments and services compared to 2017”.

Schillaci shared the need to continue “a collaborative and constructive dialogue in the future to improve and enhance the role of Italian ophthalmology in the national health sector, to protect the health of citizens. In particular, in his speech, he underlined that “the attention to ophthalmology and its patients is constant. Prevention, treatment and rehabilitation are pillars of the action to combat eye diseases within the National Health Service. The most common eye diseases in Italy are those due to age-related macular degeneration, which can also represent comorbidities and heavily affect the maintenance of autonomy of elderly and disabled people”.

“The impact of a late treatment or rehabilitation of these diseases is potentially relevant in personal and social terms. This is why – concluded Schillaci – even with your support, it is essential to continue to make people aware of having regular eye check-ups, especially in the presence of risk factors such as age or family history”.