Around 44 per cent of people aged 50 and over know nothing about age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the UK, according to new report findings.
The survey of more than 1,000 people aged 50 or over showed that nine out of 10 could not identify the key symptoms of AMD, leading to confusion about the symptoms and causes of the disease. Moreover, report authors claim that half of all people with AMD experience visual impairment severe enough to be registered as blind or partially sighted.
Survey results were published by Novartis AC in conjunction with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to highlight the launch this month of their joint 'be AMD aware' initiative.
The new campaign aims to encourage people aged 55 or over to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of AMD and to have regular eye health checks. To back the launch, print adverts with the tagline 'Don't turn a blind eye to AMD' and national TV advertising will get underway in the coming days.
As part of the campaign, optometrists are urged to refer patients to a website (www.beAMDaware.co.uk) which is billed as the first port of call for all those looking for information on AMD.
'We hope the 'be AMD aware' campaign helps more people realise that they need to look after their eye health, have regular eye checks and be vigilant to the symptoms of AMD, to catch it early,' commented Sonal Rughani, optometrist from the RNIB.