Currently it is estimated that 45 million people worldwide are blind, with an increase of 1-2 million each year. In addition, 135 million people worldwide have low vision, defined as a visual acuity of lower than 6/18 and equal to or better than 3/60 in the better eye with best correction. Age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) (26%), glaucoma (20.5%), cataract (11.2%), and diabetic retinopathy (8.9%) are the most frequent causes of blindness in Europe.