The First National Eye Disease Survey Is Here
Impaired vision affects members of society at all ages and groups and can have a rather negative impact on affected individuals.
To date in Malta, no national statistics on blindness are available and common eye diseases such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma.
But that is changing now, with efforts being taken by Ophthalmic surgeon Francis Carbonaro and his research team, led mainly by Ph.D. student and ophthalmologist Dr David Agius, through the Malta Eye A study, launched in 2019.
This study, the first of its kind for Malta, aims to gather much-needed data to determine the prevalence of the common eye disorders in Malta and how much they contribute to the visual
impairment and blindness.
The data will also determine eye health status in the population of Malta and help shape the future of medical care.
Moreover, from this data collected the team will also be able to understand if there are more Maltese at risk due to specific factors such as genetics or the environment.
So far more than 300 people have taken part, but the study needs more participants in order to ensure a valid and representative cohort, and make the data collected more accurate.
The team is collecting data from a total of about 2000 individuals, which will it is called at random, to get a demonstration picture of the whole nation.
The A research team is calling on those called to take part this study and benefit from a comprehensive free eye check, with the possible early detection of common and subsequent eye diseases treatment, where necessary.
The overall mission of the Malta Eye Study is to reduce vision loss and improve quality of life through vision research.
The study is being funded by RiDT and University of Malta.
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