A local surgeon is leading a nationwide study into blindness and the prevalence of common eye disorders in Malta.

The study, which is a first of its kind, aims to gather much-needed data to determine the prevalence of common eye disorders in Malta and how much they contribute towards visual impairment and blindness. This will help improve planning prevention, screening and management of eye disorders within the Maltese national health care system.

It is being led by ophthalmic surgeon Francis Carbonaro and his research team, led mainly by PhD student and ophthalmologist David Agius, through the Malta Eye Study launched in 2019.

The data will determine the state of eye health in Malta’s population and help shape the future of ophthalmic care

Over 300 people have taken part so far, but the study needs more participants in order to ensure a valid and representative cohort.

Researchers are aiming to have 2,000 people take part in the study, with participants benefiting from a free comprehensive eye check, with the possible early detection of common eye disease and subsequent treatment, where necessary.

Visual impairment has a profound and negative impact on people and society at large. Many disorders leading to visual impairment are often preventable and treatable, which is why it is important for a nation to have robust public health data, so as to be able to screen for disease and pick it up early, at a national level.

The data will also determine the state of eye health in Malta’s population and help shape the future of ophthalmic care. From this data, the team will also be able to understand if the Maltese are more at risk due to specific factors such as genetics or environment.

To date, Malta has no national statistics available on blindness and common eye diseases such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

The study is being funded by RiDT and University of Malta.