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© 2007 - 2008 MACULAR DEGENERATION SOCIETY
The Straits Times May 30, 2007
Mind Your Body health supplement
Very low awareness here of macular degeneration
By Judith Tan
Blindness is the disability most feared by people and yet, few have
even heard the term "macular degeneration". But with a rapidly
ageing population and the increasing prevalence of severe myopia
among Singaporeans, doctors warn that macular degeneration could
become a major public health concern.
In order to spread the word about a little-known but devastating
condition, and to provide support to those who suffer from it, a
group of people got together to form the Macular Degeneration
Society (MDS). The society will be the first self-help group for
macular degeneration patients here.
The society's adviser, Associate Professor Au Eong Kah Guan, said
that a recent telephone survey conducted by his department last year
revealed that 90 per cent of people most feared the loss of sight.
"Yet, only seven in 100 were aware of what macular degeneration
was," he said.
Prof Au Eong, who heads the ophthalmology department at
Alexandra Hospital, said this is particularly worrying as the condition
is the most common cause of blindness in developed countries.
"And as the proportion of elderly in our population increases, the
prevalence of AMD is expected to go up too. The pattern of
blindness here will gradually follow that of other developed
countries," he said.
Prof Au Eong said the disease afflicts not just the aged, but also the
young – especially those with high myopia.
Retired civil engineer Sam Fong, 63, is concerned enough to set up a
support group for sufferers and their caregivers. Mr Fong, who is the
president of MDS, suffers from glaucoma, a condition in which the
optic nerve at the back of the eye is damaged and eventually causes
blindness.
"People with MD usually cannot perform daily activities such as
reading or making a cup of coffee. This results in anxiety and
depression. So peer support is crucial to coping with the effects of
vision loss," he said.
"Our aim is to help those with MD to continue living independently
with the use of technology. As a group, we also hope to send a
strong message to society about the importance of patient support
groups in rehabilitation of degenerative eye diseases."
The Macular Degeneration Society will be officially launched on
June 9 at Alexandra Hospital. To register for the launch, please visit
the MDS website at www.mds-singapore.org or call Anne on 6238-
7387.
Mind Your Body health supplement
Very low awareness here of macular degeneration
By Judith Tan
Blindness is the disability most feared by people and yet, few have
even heard the term "macular degeneration". But with a rapidly
ageing population and the increasing prevalence of severe myopia
among Singaporeans, doctors warn that macular degeneration could
become a major public health concern.
In order to spread the word about a little-known but devastating
condition, and to provide support to those who suffer from it, a
group of people got together to form the Macular Degeneration
Society (MDS). The society will be the first self-help group for
macular degeneration patients here.
The society's adviser, Associate Professor Au Eong Kah Guan, said
that a recent telephone survey conducted by his department last year
revealed that 90 per cent of people most feared the loss of sight.
"Yet, only seven in 100 were aware of what macular degeneration
was," he said.
Prof Au Eong, who heads the ophthalmology department at
Alexandra Hospital, said this is particularly worrying as the condition
is the most common cause of blindness in developed countries.
"And as the proportion of elderly in our population increases, the
prevalence of AMD is expected to go up too. The pattern of
blindness here will gradually follow that of other developed
countries," he said.
Prof Au Eong said the disease afflicts not just the aged, but also the
young – especially those with high myopia.
Retired civil engineer Sam Fong, 63, is concerned enough to set up a
support group for sufferers and their caregivers. Mr Fong, who is the
president of MDS, suffers from glaucoma, a condition in which the
optic nerve at the back of the eye is damaged and eventually causes
blindness.
"People with MD usually cannot perform daily activities such as
reading or making a cup of coffee. This results in anxiety and
depression. So peer support is crucial to coping with the effects of
vision loss," he said.
"Our aim is to help those with MD to continue living independently
with the use of technology. As a group, we also hope to send a
strong message to society about the importance of patient support
groups in rehabilitation of degenerative eye diseases."
The Macular Degeneration Society will be officially launched on
June 9 at Alexandra Hospital. To register for the launch, please visit
the MDS website at www.mds-singapore.org or call Anne on 6238-
7387.
Media
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