Poor eyesight on the rise amongst Vietnamese children
The number of children suffering from refraction is increasing in Vietnam, particularly in big cities where nearly 40 percent of children aged between 6-15 years old have contracted eye refractive defects.
Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology Nguyen Xuan Hiep addressed the congress on November 8 (Photo: VNA)
HCM City (VNA) – The number of children suffering from refractionis increasing in Vietnam, particularly in big cities where nearly 40 percent ofchildren aged between 6-15 years old have contracted eye refractive defects.
At the annual congress of the Vietnam Ophthalmological Society (VOS), jointlyheld by the VOS and the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology (VNIO) inHo Chi Minh City on November 8, VNIO Director Nguyen Xuan Hiep said that therefraction rate among rural children is 15-20 percent lower compared to that ofchildren living in urban areas.
A VNIO survey showed that some 3 million children with poor vision or impairedsight are in need of examinations and prescribed glasses, he said, stating thatquality of eye care in Vietnam still falls short of expectations.
There are around 16,400 children who have impaired vision due to retinaldamage, corneal abrasion, cataracts, and glaucoma. However, Vietnam is still shortof qualified treatment facilities, while the eye care capacity in provincialhospitals remains weak.
“The Government needs to draw up policies to develop the optical examinationand treatment system in order to reduce the risk of blindness among children”,Hiep stressed.
Vietnam is striving to increase the rate of children receiving refractioncheck-ups to 70 percent, he added.
The VOS Congress 2018 in Ho ChiMinh City drew the participation of nearly 2,000 delegates, including experts fromAustralia, China, Germany, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, andThailand.
It offers agood opportunity for domestic and international ophthalmological experts toexchange their views and experiences, as well as update each other on newknowledge, studies, and qualification improvements in the field of ophthalmology.
There will be 20 training courses on different specialties to be undertaken byleading Vietnamese and international experts with the aim of updating knowledgeand approaches to ophthalmology in the region.
The Orbis Flying Eye Hospital on May 30 began a training course for medical staff of the General Hospital and Eye Hospital of central Binh Dinh province.
More than 40 percent of students aged from 7 to 13 in big cities such as Hanoi and HCM City suffer from eye defects, with short-sightedness accounting for two-thirds of cases, according to health sector statistics.
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Director of the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology Nguyen Xuan Hiep addressed the congress on November 8 (Photo: VNA) 
