Abstract
Aims. To estimate the prevalence of blindness in the Republic of Ireland and the associated financial and total economic cost between 2010 and 2020. Methods. Estimates for the prevalence of blindness in the Republic of Ireland were based on blindness registration data from the National Council for the Blind of Ireland. Estimates for the financial and total economic cost of blindness were based on the sum of direct and indirect healthcare and nonhealthcare costs. Results. We estimate that there were 12,995 blind individuals in Ireland in 2010 and in 2020 there will be 17,997. We estimate that the financial and total economic costs of blindness in the Republic of Ireland in 2010 were €276.6 million and €809 million, respectively, and will increase in 2020 to €367 million and €1.1 billion, respectively. Conclusions. Here, ninety-eight percent of the cost of blindness is borne by the Departments of Social Protection and Finance and not by the Department of Health as might initially be expected. Cost of illness studies should play a role in public policy making as they help to quantify the indirect or “hidden” costs of disability and so help to reveal the true cost of illness.
Highlights
The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020 there will be seventy-six million blind people worldwide
The Vision 2020 Global Initiative aims to eliminate the main causes of avoidable blindness by the year 2020 by facilitating the planning, development, and implementation of sustainable national eye care programmes
If this initiative is successfully implemented, it is estimated that the number of blind individuals globally will fall to 24 million by 2020 [1]
Summary
The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020 there will be seventy-six million blind people worldwide. The Vision 2020 Global Initiative aims to eliminate the main causes of avoidable blindness by the year 2020 by facilitating the planning, development, and implementation of sustainable national eye care programmes. If this initiative is successfully implemented, it is estimated that the number of blind individuals globally will fall to 24 million by 2020 [1]. The main causes of blindness in Ireland are age related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract, retinitis pigmentosa, and diabetic retinopathy [2].
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have