New Organization Builds International Awareness About Leading Cause of Legal Blindness

GENEVA (PROTEXT) - First Initiative Reveals 8 out of 10 Adultsare not Familiar With the Leading Cause of Blindness The AMD Alliance International, a nonprofit alliance of visionand seniors organizations, officially launched efforts today toraise the awareness level of age-related macular degeneration(AMD) -- the leading cause of legal blindness for people over 50in the Western world. The Alliance also announced researchresults revealing that only 2 percent of all adults surveyedthink AMD is the leading cause of severe sight loss for people 50and over, and 82 percent are "not familiar" with AMD.* "The recent study commissioned by the AMD AllianceInternational shows that consistently, across all countries, thegeneral public is not aware of AMD (a major cause of blindness),how to detect it or the available options for its treatment andrehabilitation," said Dr. Robert Thompson, chairman of the AMDAlliance, chairman of the Macular Disease Society in the UnitedKingdom, and an individual who was personally diagnosed with AMDapproximately six years ago. "It is the mission of the Allianceto change that." Early detection through self-tests and visits to an eye carespecialist is key, because vision lost cannot be regained. Earlydiagnosis offers an opportunity to get involved early enough tomake the greatest impact. The international study revealed,however, that only 13 percent of adults surveyed believe the mainpurpose of having an eye examination is to detect eye disease atan early stage.* And although eye exams are typicallyrecommended approximately every two years, more than one-third ofthose surveyed claim having eye exams as infrequently as onceevery three years or never at all.* While there is currently no cure for AMD, those diagnosed withthe condition may maintain independent lifestyles throughtreatment and rehabilitation options such as low vision aids(e.g., strong reading or telescopic lenses, etc.), supportservices and learned activities of daily living. The study,however, revealed that 75 percent of all adults surveyed are notaware of treatment options for AMD.* AMD is a degenerative eye disease that causes loss of centralvision, leaving only peripheral, or side, vision in tact.Approximately 25-30 million people around the world are affectedby AMD, yet awareness and understanding remains extremely low. The AMD Alliance International is a nonprofit alliance ofinternational vision and seniors organizations striving to bringknowledge, help and hope to individuals and families around theworld affected by AMD. The Alliance Board of Directors is currently comprised oforganizations representing the countries of Austria, Canada,France, Germany, Italy, Spain (in discussion), Switzerland,United Kingdom and the United States. For more information, visit the AMD Alliance Web site atwww.amdalliance.org . *Research Source: Survey among representative samples of 6,951adults from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, U.K. and U.S.commissioned by AMD Alliance International, May 1999. otsOriginal Text Service: The AMD Alliance International Internet:http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Lauren Mason, 404-877-1874,or lauren.mason@ketchum.com , or Jennifer Wardrep, 404-877-1872,or jennifer.wardrep@ketchum.com , both of Ketchum for The AMDAlliance International

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