Health

Vietnam children’s blindness rate fourth highest in Asia

About 3 million out of 22.7 million Vietnamese children are facing weak eyesight, while 23,000 of them suffer from bilateral blindness, representing the fourth highest rate in the Asian region.
About 3 million out of 22.7 million Vietnamese children are facingweak eyesight, while 23,000 of them suffer from bilateral blindness,representing the fourth highest rate in the Asian region.

The figures are announced at the ceremony to launch the Flying EyeHospital (FEH) programme, conducted by the Orbis organisation and theVietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology at Hanoi’s Noi BaiInternational Airport on May 26.

The FEH isconducting a 2-week training course for 130 medical personnel, alongwith free check-ups and treatment for more than 160 patients witheyesight problems from May 25 to June 5.

The FEH earlier launched training courses and eye check-ups in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue.

Orbis, an NGO dedicated to vision treatment worldwide since 1982, hasbeen working in Vietnam since 2000 and has helped establish five eyecare centres for children in Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, Ho Chi Minh City andBinh Dinh.-VNA
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