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Prevent Blindness has designated December 1-7, 2025 as its fifth annual Geographic Atrophy (GA) Week. GA is an advanced form of dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). According to the Cleveland Clinic, more than 8 million people in the world, and around 1 million people in the United States have GA. And GA affects around 20 percent of all people with AMD.
To educate the public and allied health professionals, Prevent Blindness offers free, expert-approved educational resources on GA including a fact sheet and a series of social media graphics, available in English and Spanish, a dedicated web page and expert and patient videos. This year’s GA Week is generously supported by Silver sponsor Apellis Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Vision changes due to GA may include:
However, in the early stages of GA, there may be no notable symptoms. This can delay early diagnosis and treatment during a critical period to preserve sight.
“Geographic atrophy can profoundly affect the independence and quality of life of millions of patients and their families,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Our goal at Prevent Blindness is to bring GA into the spotlight- ensuring people recognize the symptoms, understand their options, and feel empowered to seek care earlier.”
Prevent Blindness recently hosted the community forum “Geographic Atrophy: Knowledge, Hope, and Help,” designed for those who have been diagnosed with GA, and/or their care partners. The discussion, available for viewing free online, includes an overview of GA, patient experiences of individuals living with the condition, and resources available to GA patients. This virtual event was supported by funding from Apellis, Astellas, and Johnson & Johnson.
Panelists of the “Geographic Atrophy: Knowledge, Hope, and Help” forum include:
Additional educational videos from Prevent Blindness include the Focus on Eye Health Series episodes:
A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that one in four adults with vision loss reported anxiety or depression. For those experiencing vision loss or blindness from GA, or other eye diseases or conditions, Prevent Blindness offers the Vision Loss and Mental Wellness resource from its Living Well With Low Vision program. Prevent Blindness strongly encourages those experiencing mental wellness issues, and their care partners, to contact a mental health professional, and seek out support groups of others who are living with GA.
For more information on GA, visit https://preventblindness.org/geographic-atrophy. For more information on wet and dry AMD, visit https://preventblindness.org/amd-age-related-macular-degeneration/. For more information on low vision and mental wellness, visit https://lowvision.preventblindness.org.
Prevent Blindness is declaring February as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Month in an effort to provide education and various expert-approved resources to the public and professionals. This year’s AMD and Low Vision Month is generously supported by Gold Sponsor EyePoint, Inc.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, AMD is the most common cause of severe loss of eyesight among people 50 and older. And, about 4 million Americans live with low vision, which is defined as chronic visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or medical treatments.
AMD affects the central part of the retina called the “macula.” When AMD damages the macula, the center part of a person’s vision may become blurred or wavy, and a blind spot may develop. Early detection and treatment of AMD is key to helping to prevent significant vision loss.
Two types of AMD include:
“As our population ages, the number of individuals impacted by AMD continues to grow. Many will face difficulties doing the things we sometimes take for granted, such as reading, seeing faces, and driving,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Our robust collection of resources on AMD and low vision are intentionally created to help minimize vision loss and maintain independence for those impacted by AMD while providing effective tools to the public and providers on ways to save sight.”
As part of AMD and Low Vision Month, Prevent Blindness offers the free AMD GuideMe app. This resource provides a customized overview of AMD along with a tailored resource list and suggested steps to help save sight from the eye disease specific to the individual using the GuideMe app. Prevent Blindness offers additional educational resources including fact sheets and shareable social media graphics in English and Spanish, and dedicated webpages.
New this year, as part of the Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program Member Spotlight Series, graduate Laurie S., shares her experience with AMD, including her family history with the eye disease, how it impacts her daily activities including the ability to read music, and the importance of support groups “Age-related Macular Degeneration: Laurie’s Story.”
Videos in the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Series include:
The Prevent Blindness “Living Well With Low Vision” program provides useful information to those with low vision, their care partners and healthcare professionals. Content includes self-help guides, resources for vision loss and mental wellness, information on clinical trials, and much more. Living Well With Low Vision is supported by grants from Amgen and Genentech.
For more information on AMD, please visit PreventBlindness.org/amd. For information on geographic atrophy, please visit PreventBlindness.org/geographic-atrophy.
And, for more information on Living Well With Low Vision, or other general eye health information, please visit lowvision.PreventBlindness.org.
For a listing of organizations and services that provide financial assistance for vision care in English or Spanish, please visit https://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.
