The economic impact and cost of visual impairment in Australia.
OBJECTIVE
To quantify the total economic costs of vision loss in Australia.


METHODS
Prevalence data of visual impairment, unpublished data on indirect costs, and national healthcare cost databases were used.


RESULTS
Vision disorders cost Australia an estimated A$9.85 billion in 2004. A$4.8 billion is the loss of wellbeing (years of life lost as a result of disability and premature mortality). Vision disorders rank seventh and account for 2.7% of the national loss of wellbeing. Direct health system costs total A$1.8 billion. They have increased by A$1 billion over the last 10 years and will increase a further A$1-2 billion in the next 10 years. Cataract, the largest direct cost, takes 18% of expenditure. The health system costs place vision disorders seventh, ahead of coronary heart disease, diabetes, depression, and stroke. Indirect costs, A$3.2 billion, include carers' costs, low vision aids, lost earnings, and other welfare payments and taxes.


CONCLUSIONS
Even a developed economy such as Australia's cannot afford avoidable vision loss. Priority needs to be given to prevent preventable vision loss; to treat treatable eye diseases; and to increase research into vision loss that can be neither prevented nor treated.
Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, 32 Gisborne Street, East Melbourne, Vic, Australia 3002. h.taylor@unimelb.edu.au
H R
HR
Taylor
M L
ML
Pezzullo
J E
JE
Keeffe
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology