Early action and screening could save the sight of 9 million people, says Euro MP

12.01.00am GMT Thu 11th Feb 2010

Liz Lynne MEP is calling for early action and screening to treat glaucoma

Early action and screening could tackle the spiralling cost of treating millions of people losing their sight due to glaucoma, says Euro MP Liz Lynne.

The West Midlands LibDem MEP today signed a cross party written declaration in the European Parliament calling for better and earlier treatment for the condition.

Glaucoma causes irreversible damage to the optic nerve and is responsible for damaged sight or complete blindness in 9.25 million people across European Union countries. The number of sufferers is set to increase to 12.4 million by 2020 due to the ageing population.

Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg today, Liz Lynne said:

"Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness in Britain and Europe today. Because the symptoms only become obvious when the condition is quite advanced, up to 50% of sufferers are undiagnosed.

"But glaucoma can be treated, especially if it is detected early. The cost of treatment rises as the condition progresses. Given the pressure on budgets everywhere in the recession, it is clear that we need to encourage earlier intervention.

"Glaucoma causes serious damage to patients' quality of life and left untreated often leads to blindness. And all the figures suggest it is getting more common.

"This is another example of a condition costing healthcare providers around Europe huge amounts of money, where co-ordinated action to adopt best practice could both improve outcomes and save money.

"We want to encourage the European Commission and member states to promote early screening programmes and treatment and step up research. We need to identify which agencies are most successful at treating glaucoma and share that best practice around the NHS and other health care providers."

The declaration needs to be signed by 369 MEPs to force a debate in the European Parliament.

ENDS

Notes: In the UK , two million people have sight problems and 316,000 are registered as blind or partially sighted. Glaucoma is responsible for 13% of visual impairment and a larger proportion of those registered blind. By the age of 65 one in six people will suffer visual impairment.

Text of the resolution signed by Liz Lynne MEP:

The European Parliament,

• having regard to Rule 123 of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas 9.25 million persons in the EU suffer from glaucoma, a condition which damages the eye's optic nerve, resulting in irreversible visual loss and eventually blindness,

B. whereas this number will increase to 12.4 million in 2020 because of population ageing,

C. whereas 50% of sufferers remain undiagnosed because the symptoms appear only late in the course of the disease,

D. whereas the quality of life of glaucoma patients is severely impaired, with a reduced ability to perform daily activities, and glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in Europe ,

E. whereas glaucoma is easier to treat at an early stage of the disease and the cost of glaucoma treatment increases with the severity of the disease,

1. Calls on the Commission and Council to:

• promote prevention by supporting awareness campaigns among health care providers and the population,

• encourage Member States to promote early diagnosis and treatment by supporting screening programmes targeted at risk groups,

• stimulate European research on the improvement of glaucoma treatment,

• facilitate the exchange of best practices in prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma between all Member States in order to provide equal access to high-quality health care for all European citizens;

2. Instructs its President to forward this declaration, together with the names of the signatories, to the Commission, the Council and the parliaments of the Member States.