Pope Receives Patient Charter

Imagine the opportunity to make His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI personally aware of the needs of people with macular disease! Such was the case in Rome last week when representatives from Pro-Retina Deutschland and Retina Italia Onlus ended their awareness raising cycling tour at the Vatican presenting the Macular Disease Patient Charter and receiving a special blessing.

The Macular Disease Patient Charter was developed by the AMD Alliance International (AMDAI). The MD Foundation in Australia is a Member of the Alliance Board and sits on the executive of the Alliance and strongly supports the Macular Disease Patient Charter.

The patient charter is a bill of rights providing an essential road map for those living with macular disease. There are four essential cornerstones in this Charter: prevention and cure; timely diagnosis; universal access to proven treatment; and holistic care and support.

AMDAI's Chairman David Herman and past Chairman and international patient spokesperson MacDonald (Don) Curran have been promoting the Charter around the world to ensure that patients have the opportunity to receive the very best care and treatment possible.