A group photo of all attendees, taken at the European Parliament. The image is framed by a yellow Retina International-branded graphic featuring the title “Retina International at the European Parliament” and the RI logo at the bottom.
This week, Retina International’s CEO Avril Daly travelled to Brussels to participate in a high-level discussion at the European Parliament on the growing impact of age-related vision loss across Europe.
Hosted by Romana Jerković and organised on the initiative of healthcare advocate Ivica Belina, the session brought together patient organisations, clinicians, healthcare leaders, and policymakers to discuss the urgent need for earlier diagnosis, improved prevention strategies, and faster access to treatment for retinal conditions such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR).
The discussion highlighted the rapidly growing prevalence of vision loss across Europe. It is estimated that currently 1 in 10 Europeans are living with AMD, with projections rising to 1 in 8 people by 2040. Speakers also addressed the major economic and societal impact of sight loss, including its effect on independence, employment, mental well-being, and healthy ageing.
A key focus of the session was the need to reduce delays between European Medicines Agency approval and patient access to treatment. Current delays of 12–24 months across some European countries can result in irreversible sight loss while patients wait for therapies already approved for use.
During the discussion, Avril Daly highlighted the growing body of evidence linking vision loss and cognitive health, drawing on research from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA).
“Evidence shows that vision loss in both eyes makes an individual up to 125% more likely to experience cognitive impairment. We possess the therapies; we now require the political will to ensure no patient is left in the dark.”
– Avril Daly, CEO, Retina International
The event also reinforced the importance of treating vision health as a wider public health and societal issue, not simply a clinical one. Discussions throughout the day focused on prevention, earlier intervention, equitable access to care, and ensuring patient perspectives remain central in healthcare decision-making.
Retina International was proud to contribute the patient voice to these important conversations and to continue advocating for timely access to treatment, stronger support systems, and better outcomes for people living with retinal conditions across Europe.
We would like to thank all organisers, speakers, policymakers, and advocates involved in bringing this important discussion to the European Parliament.
