Retinal disease socioeconomic impact projected to reach $98 billion by 2032

The socioeconomic burden of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic macular edema (DME) reached $60 billion in 2023 across ten countries and is projected to grow by 64%, exceeding $98 billion by 2032. This analysis, conducted by the WifOR Institute and commissioned by Roche, includes Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

The study accounts for impacts on healthcare systems as well as losses in both paid and unpaid labor. Between 2017 and 2023, the cumulative burden in these nations totaled approximately $356 billion, with projections suggesting a rise to $715 billion for the 2024–2032 period.

Dennis Ostwald, founder and CEO of the WifOR Institute, emphasized that health should be viewed as an investment rather than a cost. He argued that economic decisions regarding vision loss should include non-traditional statistics, such as the impact on unpaid tasks like childcare and family support. Globally, more than 330 million people live with blindness or vision loss, affecting daily autonomy and activities such as driving and working.