THE number of people certified as having a visual impairment in Wales has fallen every year for the last five years, new figures reveal.

The Welsh Government has invested in a range of new services to preserve people's eyesight and have seen a reduction of 375 people registered with an impairment over five years.

In 2008/2009, 1,737 people were registered with visual impairment which has fallen each year to 1,362 in 2012/2013.

The Welsh Government has spent money on the Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Service Wales (DRSSW), which detects eye disease caused by diabetes earlier and has made new treatments available, including for the chronic eye disease age-related wet macular degeneration (wet AMD).

In 2007, there was no treatment available for wet AMD but last year, the Welsh Government provided more than £16 million for nearly 16,000 courses of treatment.

This month the Welsh Government announced a £600,000 funding boost to provide more eye care closer to people’s homes.

A further £500,000 was also invested in the latest cameras, which help identify eye damage related to diabetes.

Deputy minister for health Vaughan Gething said: “We have made significant progress in detecting and tackling conditions which have an impact on people’s sight.

"From investing in new services which detect conditions as early as possible and providing more services closer to people’s homes, to providing the latest equipment, the number of people certified with a visual impairment in Wales is falling.

"We will continue to build on this progress so we provide the best care possible to patients.”