B-Debate: Fighting Blindness. Future Challenges and Opportunities for Visual Restoration

Blindness is a major global health challenge because of the enormous impact it has on patients and their families, and their important socio-economic consequences. Besides the great emotional impact that this implies for patients and their families, also means the inability to pursue education, to find a quality job, an increased risk for falls and accidents, a limited autonomy and an impediment to have an active lifestyle and quality.

Over the coming years, 1 of every 4 people over 50 years-old will suffer some kind of degenerative eye disease. Currently in the EU there are 91 million people over 65 years and is expected to reach 127 million by 2020. Worldwide it is estimated that there are 285 million people with impaired vision and 39 million are blind.