UNIVERSAL
EYE
HEALTH
Ha Noi – Viet Nam
27 June 2014
Why eye health?
• Better eye health improves quality of
life, and participation in work and the
community
• Cost-effective interventions exist for
cataract and refractive error
• Every dollar spent on eye health
generates a four-fold return on
investment
• Most vision loss is avoidable. Four out
of five people who are blind don't
need to be.
VISION 2020 is making a
big difference
• Globally, prevalence of blindness
and visual impairment over the
past 20 years is declining
• In 2010 there were nearly 100
million fewer people who were
blind or with severe or moderate
visual impairment than would
have been expected
The number of blind
people in the world
Those with moderate
and severe visual
impairment
Total
32
million
191
million
223
million
Bourne R, Price H, Stevens G. Global Burden of Visual Impairment and
Blindness. Arch Ophthalmol. 2012;130(5):645-647
The data confirmed
• Links to poverty: rates of
blindness in low income countries
are considerably greater than in
high income countries
• Women are disproportionately
affected
• Cataract and refractive error
remain the major causes of vision
loss
Universal Eye Health:
A Global Action Plan 20142019
• Adopted by all health ministers
at the World Health Assembly in
May 2013
• Emphasis on:
• Universal access
• National plans
• Evidence
• Funding
• Integration and partnership
Global Action
Plan:
Towards
Universal Eye
Health
Western
Pacific
Regional Action
Plan
Provincial plans
and initiatives
National Plan
for Viet Nam
2014-2019
NGO
initiatives
and
programs
National
initiatives
National Plan
for Viet Nam
2014-2019
IAPB and international
partners in Viet Nam
are willing to support
implementation and
monitoring
Strengths
•
CSR has increased rapidly
• Expanding health insurance
• Good numbers of ophthalmologists
• Trachoma close to elimination
• Strong public health and education system
• Committed partners, National PBL Committee
• Guidelines for district level eye care, National
Plan drafted
• Advanced training curriculum and teaching in
basic ophthalmology
• Good infrastructure for eye care
Refractive error
Lack of access to quality services for refractive
error.

Improve legal and policy frameworks to ensure a
greater quantity and quality of refraction services

Clearer policy and registration of spectacle shops
in public settings, including financing

Formalised training for optometrists

Insurance expanded to cover spectacles

Gather more evidence

Vision screening included in student health checks
Cataract
While the CSR has increased, the cost and quality
of surgery remains a problem.
 Ensure affordable services are available to all,
especially the poor and those close to the poverty
line
 Options of different services, for example SICS and
ECCE /IOL
 Increase public awareness of the benefits of cataract
 Health insurance to cover IOL for traditional method
(SICS)
 Clearer guidelines for monitoring of surgical
outcomes and standard procedures for follow-up to
ensure quality, including CSSS
Inclusion and access
Vulnerable groups – women and children, the poor,
elderly and persons with disability, ethnic minorities –
have limited access to quality eye health service
 Training and awareness of health staff to be sensitive to
different patient’s needs
 Expand outreach to hard-to-reach and vulnerable
groups in poor and remote areas
 Adequate incentives for health staff to work in remote
areas, including allowances for outreach
 Prioritise and focus on primary eye care, cataract and
refractive errors in remote areas
 Promote the public benefits of eye health services
 Expand access and improve referral for low vision and
rehabilitation and disability support
 Guidelines for district level eye care should include
sections to promote inclusion
Diabetic Retinopathy
Almost 6 per cent of the adult population of Viet Nam
has diabetes, and are at risk of losing their vision.
 Improve capacity of health staff to diagnose and treat,
particularly at the provincial level
 Strengthen collaboration and referral mechanisms
between diabetes sector and eye health
 Include eye health in guidelines and protocol for
managing diabetes
 Gather evidence on prevalence and future projections
 Expand health insurance to ensure access to all
necessary screenings
 Improve facilities and equipment to manage diabetic
eye disease
 Increase public awareness to encourage early
intervention
THANK YOU!
For more information please
contact IAPB
Damian Facciolo
E: dfacciolo@iapb.org
www.iapbwesternpacific.org