Trachoma rate brought down to less than 1%
VGP – The number of Vietnamese people who suffer trachoma fell down to less than 1% this year from 80% (of which 30% became blind due to complication) in 1960 and 90% of the cataract cases have been dissected compared to 30% in 1995.
The rate of blind people in Việt Nam has dropped considerably during the past fifty years
The above figures, which were introduced at the National Ophthalmic Congress 2010 taking place on December 11-17, are quite positive outcomes.
Beside general hospitals with their own ophthalmology departments, about 12 other private ophthalmological clinics have been founded throughout Việt Nam. The total number of oculists increases to 1,300 from just 10 in 1960.
PhD Đỗ Như Hơn, Director of the Việt Nam National Institute of Ophthalmology, said that some 30,000 cataract cases are freely dissected every year.
Participating ophthalmologists to the congress updated data and discussed ways to speed up the implementation of the national anti-blindness program and optic targets until 2020.
They also talked about experience to reduce blindness in Nam Định, Hải Dương, Thái Bình, Đà Nẵng, Bình Định, and the Mekong Delta.
Some 81 specialized reports on eye problems are also presented by local and foreign specialists at the event.
By Hải Minh
