Vietnam has an estimated 400,000 blindpeople, 66.1 percent of whom have cataracts, reported the VietnamNational Institute of Ophthalmology (VNIO) in Hanoi on Oct. 8.
Speaking at a meeting to mark 2009 World Sight Day (WSD), Deputy HealthMinister Nguyen Thi Xuyen highlighted the outstanding achievements madeby the country’s ophthalmology sector, which she said, has helped manypeople to access better eye care.
However, Xuyen noted, there is still a high rate of blindness in thecountry. “Vietnam is committed to supporting the global initiative“Vision 2020” and will earmark funds from its budget to blindnessprevention and control until 2020,” said the deputy minister.
According to a survey conducted by the VNIO in 2007, the rate ofblindness fell from 0.63 percent in 2000 to 0.59 percent in 2007 and 83percent of cases could be prevented or treated. In particular, the rateof blindness in people aged over 50 is 3 percent.
To further reduce the blindness rate, the sector will provide surgeryto between 170,000-250,000 cataract patients by 2012, introduce arefractive care programme and devise a glaucoma prevention and controlproject in the community. It will also expand a retinopathy ofprematurity (ROP) treatment project and build two refractive errorstraining centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City .
In response to the 2009 WSD, the VNIO has provided examinations andmedicines to 150 people and conducted free operations on 255 poorcataract patients in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh andBac Giang and Hanoi .
Meanwhile, the HCM City Eye Hospital has provided free check ups topeople aged over 70 and 150 female glaucoma patients aged over 55 aswell as consultancy services and medicines to 2,000 people.
Also at the meeting, the Vietnam Ophthalmology Association and the VNIOhonoured 11 families whose relatives had donated their corneas./.
Speaking at a meeting to mark 2009 World Sight Day (WSD), Deputy HealthMinister Nguyen Thi Xuyen highlighted the outstanding achievements madeby the country’s ophthalmology sector, which she said, has helped manypeople to access better eye care.
However, Xuyen noted, there is still a high rate of blindness in thecountry. “Vietnam is committed to supporting the global initiative“Vision 2020” and will earmark funds from its budget to blindnessprevention and control until 2020,” said the deputy minister.
According to a survey conducted by the VNIO in 2007, the rate ofblindness fell from 0.63 percent in 2000 to 0.59 percent in 2007 and 83percent of cases could be prevented or treated. In particular, the rateof blindness in people aged over 50 is 3 percent.
To further reduce the blindness rate, the sector will provide surgeryto between 170,000-250,000 cataract patients by 2012, introduce arefractive care programme and devise a glaucoma prevention and controlproject in the community. It will also expand a retinopathy ofprematurity (ROP) treatment project and build two refractive errorstraining centres in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City .
In response to the 2009 WSD, the VNIO has provided examinations andmedicines to 150 people and conducted free operations on 255 poorcataract patients in the northern provinces of Bac Ninh, Ninh Binh andBac Giang and Hanoi .
Meanwhile, the HCM City Eye Hospital has provided free check ups topeople aged over 70 and 150 female glaucoma patients aged over 55 aswell as consultancy services and medicines to 2,000 people.
Also at the meeting, the Vietnam Ophthalmology Association and the VNIOhonoured 11 families whose relatives had donated their corneas./.
