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.

• 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

VISION 2020 is making a big difference

The number of blind people in the world

Those with moderate and severe visual impairment

Total

32million

191million

223million

Bourne R, Price H, Stevens G. Global Burden of Visual Impairment and Blindness. Arch Ophthalmol. 2012;130(5):645-647

• 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

The data confirmed

Universal Eye Health:A Global Action Plan 2014-2019

• 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

WesternPacific

Regional Action Plan

National initiatives

NGO initiatives

and programs

National Plan for Viet Nam 2014-2019

Provincial plans and initiatives

IAPB and international partners in Viet Nam are willing to support implementation and monitoring

National Plan for Viet Nam 2014-2019

• 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

Strengths

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

Refractive error

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

Cataract

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

Inclusion and access

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