A doctor gives eye-check to a patient on Quang Nam Province.— VNS Photo

Novartis has announced a partnership with an international development organisation, The Fred Hollows Foundation, to implement a year-long eye health programme to prevent blindness in Viet Nam.

‘Hope In Sight’ aims to improve access to eye health services by conducting community screening and comprehensive eye health programmes in Da Nang and the provinces of Quang Nam and Tien Giang.

It seeks to educate 1.3 million people about eye diseases and screen 36,000.

It will refer 700 patients diagnosed with an eye condition for follow-up treatment, with priority given to the most vulnerable and marginalised like ethnic minorities, people with disabilities and low-income people and their children.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 2.5 billion people in the world are struggling with some form of vision impairment. In Southeast Asia, retinal diseases are the second most common cause of blindness after cataract.

Glaucoma is another leading cause of vision impairment.

In Viet Nam, the focus of the healthcare system has largely been on disorders such as cataract, trachoma and refractive errors due to their high incidence rates.

Retinal disorders and glaucoma have slipped under the radar.

Fortunately, blindness from glaucoma and retinal diseases can often be prevented with early diagnosis and treatment. The earlier they are done, the more vision there is to save and the less likely the patient will become blind.

To educate communities in eye health, Hope In Sight has rolled out a variety of online and offline initiatives such as banners, SMS blasts, TV and radio ads, and in-person events in the three places.

In collaboration with local eye hospitals, the programme supports free screening with doctors and ophthalmic staff identifying patients with eye diseases and referring them for medical tests if needed. — VNS