Chris Hayes (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This week is Macular Degeneration Awareness Week. The aim of the Macular Degeneration Foundation campaign this year is to highlight the importance of having your eyes checked and, in particular, to ensure that your macula is checked. The macula is the central part of the retina that processes all the visual images and is responsible for your ability to read, recognise faces, drive, see colours clearly et cetera. Macular degeneration is now the leading cause of blindness and severe vision loss in Australia. It affects one in seven people over the age of 50 in some way, and the instances of it increase with age.

Macular degeneration is thought to be caused through genetic and environmental factors. People over the age of 50 who smoke or have a family history of macular degeneration are at much greater risk of developing this disease. Early detection of macular degeneration is critical because the earlier you seek treatment, the more likely you will have a better outcome compared to those who wait.

Available treatment options are dependent on the stage at which the disease is detected, but sadly there is no cure. Vision impairment is an important issue facing the present and future generations of older Australians. It can affect a person’s quality of life and level of independence, including their physical, emotional, economic and social wellbeing. Macular degeneration costs Australia about $2.6 billion a year. That is estimated to grow to about $6.5 billion by 2025. I would like to express my appreciation for the Macular Degeneration Foundation for their continued— (Time expired)