A large high-tech road vehicle will cross Italy’s main urban areas, providing free eye examinations. The first stop is in Varese, then Milan will follow. The objective is to prevent blindness
The free eye examinations campaign in urban areas promoted by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness – IAPB Italy has started. A mobile clinic will provide high-tech check-ups, offering an opportunity to make early diagnosis to prevent blindness.
The campaign sets off between 21 and 23 September in Varese, and will come to an end in 2021, reaching the main urban areas of every Italian region.
The IAPB large mobile clinic is a 100 sq. metres high-tech road vehicle, equipped with four diagnostic stations. Onboard the unit, doctors will be able to provide high-tech check-ups free of charge, offering an opportunity to make early diagnosis to prevent blindness. The available exams are aimed at an early detection of the main retinal and optic nerve diseases and are reserved for patients over 40 years of age.
The IAPB large high-tech road vehicle will be present in Milan from today, 24 September, through to Thursday 26, in Piazza Melchiorre Gioia. Then it will reach Lodi, from 27 to 29 September, in Piazza Castello. The campaign will continue onto Abruzzo (L’Aquila, Pescara and Teramo), and Campania (Naples, Salerno and Nola).
In every region, the tour will also be preceded by an informative forum open to the general public, which will be attended by members of the medical-scientific community, managers of regional health care services and from civil society.
The opening ceremony took place in Varese on 21 September, in the presence of Mr. Michele Monti, President of the Commissione Permanente Sanità e Politiche Sociali (Permanent Commission on Health and Social Policies). On that occasion, Mr. Michele Corcio, Vice President of IAPB Italy, stated that: “This is a ‘manifesto’ initiative, which helps people and encourages institutions to invest in health prevention.”
Institutions were also present today at the Milan event, with Mr. Francesco Boccia, Minister of Regional Affairs and Autonomies, and Mr. Giulio Gallera, Regional Minister of Health for Lombardy, both accompanied in the picture by Mr. Tiziano Melchiorre, Secretary-General of IAPB Italy.
Find out when you can book an eye exam near you by visiting the following website: https://iapb.it/vistainsalute/
WHY BOOK AN EXAM?
Glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and maculopathies are a set of pathologies that overall affect more than 3 million people in Italy. Such diseases can cause blindness and their incidence is destined to increase as the population ages. Retinal and optic nerve diseases are often asymptomatic in the early stages, while they are very difficult to treat once they have fully developed. These pathologies can damage the optic nerve, and once any damage has been done, it cannot be fixed. That is why early diagnosis will become increasingly important and is the reason that prompted IAPB Italy to launch such a vast prevention campaign.
