The economic impact of diabetic macular oedema in Australia: April 2015
This report, with input from Macular Disease Foundation Australia, estimates 72,000 Australians are living with diabetic macular oedema. Also known as diabetic macular edema (DME), DMO is a serious eye disease caused by diabetes. Without treatment it can lead to permanent vision loss and blindness.
The report was written by Deloitte Access Economics and commissioned by Bayer. It was supported by Macular Disease Foundation Australia and Diabetes Australia.
The central finding of the report highlights a stark reality: the number of people at risk of blindness from DMO will grow dramatically in the next 15 years from 72,000 to 102,000 people.
It estimates the indirect financial and wellbeing costs associated with DME at $2.07 billion in 2015.
The report shows that the workforce will be hit hard with costs of approximately $570 million due to productivity losses from lower workforce participation, absenteeism and premature death.
