Vietnam
There are 300,000 adults and 23,000 children in Vietnam who are blind. While blindness in Vietnam has decreased over the last decade, the country continues to struggle with providing eye care, especially in rural areas. Quality of care, training and human resources still remain problematic, and overall awareness of how to prevent blindness is low.
300,000
people suffer from blindness
23,000
children are blind
3 million
children are visually impaired
SUCCESS IN VIETNAM
We began collaborating with Vietnam’s ophthalmic communities through hospital-based projects in 1996. A permanent office was established in Hanoi in 2003.
Orbis has been providing the highest level of expertise to support the development of eye care services and blindness prevention in Vietnam – especially in the areas of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), pediatric and cataract services and in establishing an eye bank.
In 2019 alone, we delivered:
50,000
patients accessing eye care services
100,000
community eye screenings & examinations
20,000
glasses prescribed
12,000
eye surgeries performed in hospitals
Since 2015, Orbis has worked to strengthen the eye health system in the country, focusing on the quality of services and human resources.
In 2010 Dr. Black, a pediatric ophthalmologist from New Orleans, Louisiana, treated eight-year-old Quang Chien for strabismus. Find out what happened when Dr Black returned to see her again.
A mini series of eye care work in Vietnam
Vietnam: Truc can look forward to a lifetime of being able to see clearly
March 22, 2021
PRESERVING SIGHT FOR PREMATURE INFANTS IN VIETNAM’S MEKONG DELTA
January 06, 2021
Support Retinopathy of Prematurity in Vietnam
January 06, 2021
DAI'S WORLD WAS A BLUR — UNTIL NOW
October 01, 2020
Vietnam: Young tam saved from a life of blindness
August 13, 2019
Vietnam: Phuong no longer teased at school
August 13, 2019
Vietnam: Nothing can stand in Khang's way now he can see
August 06, 2019
Vietnam: Trinh's journey to clear sight
What we're doing next
Orbis plans to address the constraints of eye care system in Vietnam through three key strategies: expanding quality pediatric eye care services in more regions across the country; strengthening human resources for eye health; and increasing the availability of eye care services for diabetic patients.
Our work includes developing models to ensure quality of care and quality of human resources that can be replicated and maintained by the government.
The first model reflecting international standards for diabetic retinopathy – which poses a risk to four million people with diabetes in Vietnam – is in the pilot stage and requires further resources to be replicated nationwide.