Raising AMD awareness
Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd, supported by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), has launched "Be AMD Aware", a campaign to raise awareness of the risk factors for and symptoms of age-related macular generation (AMD) among those aged 55 and over in the UK.
Novartis Pharmaceuticals UK Ltd, supported by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB), has launched "Be AMD Aware", a campaign to raise awareness of the risk factors for and symptoms of age-related macular generation (AMD) among those aged 55 and over in the UK.
The awareness campaign was prompted by survey results that showed that 44% of respondents were completely unaware of the condition. The telephone survey - of 519 UK adults (aged ≥50 years), which was conducted by Harris Interactive between November and December 2008 - also showed that 90% of respondents were unable to identify the symptoms of AMD and 70% were unaware that smoking constituted a significant risk for AMD development.
The "Be AMD Aware" campaign aims to encourage over-55s in the UK to undergo regular eye examinations and to become more aware of AMD symptoms to enable early detection. Information for the general public is available at www.beAMDaware.co.uk.
