Cot of Intervention for Viual Impairment Original Reearch Article

Purpoe To quantify the economic cot of viion lo in Autralia and ae the impact of a coted intervention package to prevent avoidable viion lo. Deign Exiting Autralian population-baed data on prevalence and caue of viual impairment were ued, and cot were calculated from publihed data for the five main caue of viual impairment. Method The cot of viion lo in Autralia wa determined from the weighted prevalence of viual impairment; unpublihed data on the indirect cot of viion; and national databae on health care cot and other economic data. A coted intervention package wa developed and it economic impact modeled. Outcome meaure were total cot and aving from the intervention. Reult The intervention package would cot AU$188.8 million to implement in it firt year but would bring a net return of AU$163.1 million in direct cot in the firt year and an overall aving to the country of AU$911.1 million, a 4.8-fold return on invetment. Concluion Three-quarter of viion lo i avoidable, and many eye care intervention are cot effective. Even a developed economy cannot afford avoidable viion lo. Priority need to be given to the prevention and treatment of avoidable viion lo.