Chronic Wounds
The Silent Epidemic
Chronic wounds – “The Silent Epidemic”
An estimated 116 million people worldwide suffer from chronic wounds – wounds in which the natural healing process has stalled.
A growing problem
Type II diabetes, vascular disease, and ageing populations – factors with significant growth trends in almost all parts of the world – are the major drivers of chronic wounds.
A global problem
The global distribution of chronic wounds reflects the global distribution of population in general. Most of these patients are in low and middle-income countries.
A problem of equity and access
Most of the world’s population live in countries whose healthcare services cannot afford currently available dermal regeneration devices. Even in advanced economies such as Europe, tissue equivalents are generally reserved for use as a last resort, due to their high costs.
Chronic Wounds
The Silent Epidemic
Chronic wounds – “The Silent Epidemic”
An estimated 116 million people worldwide suffer from chronic wounds – wounds in which the natural healing process has stalled.
A growing problem
Type II diabetes, vascular disease, and ageing populations – factors with significant growth trends in almost all parts of the world – are the major drivers of chronic wounds.
A global problem
The global distribution of chronic wounds reflects the global distribution of population in general. Most of these patients are in low and middle-income countries.
A problem of equity and access
Most of the world’s population live in countries whose healthcare services cannot afford currently available dermal regeneration devices. Even in advanced economies such as Europe, tissue equivalents are generally reserved for use as a last resort, due to their high costs.
A problem which can be solved
While prevention and early treatment would be the preferred solutions, due to a lack of early and adequate care many patients present with advanced wounds which are usually infected, leading to tissue loss, amputations and all too often, death. Disinfection, debridement and protection are important, but often not sufficient elements of treatment.
An affordable, practical and effective tissue regeneration device would change the outlook for millions of patients all around the world.
More people die each year as a consequence of chronic wounds than die from breast or prostate cancer.
The 5-year survival rate after non-trauma amputation, such as typically occurs with diabetic wounds, is lower than that for cancers in general.
The US, which accounts for less than 5% of the global population, accounts for over 90% of sales of advanced tissue regeneration technologies.