On May 11, the Ministry of Health coordinated with the Central Eye Hospital and international organizations to officially launch the Rapid Assessment Program for the Possible Prevention of Blindness in 2026 (RAAB 2026). This is considered the largest-scale survey of the Vietnamese eye industry in the new period, aiming to build data to serve the blindness prevention strategy to 2030 and vision 2045.
According to the plan, RAAB 2026 will be deployed in 12 provinces and cities representing regions across the country, surveying nearly 16,000 people aged 50 and over at 317 survey clusters.
The program focuses on assessing the rate of preventable blindness; identifying the leading causes of blindness; detecting barriers that make it difficult for people to access eye care services; and at the same time assessing the quality of ophthalmic treatment in the community and updating data to serve the allocation of medical resources.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Ngoc Dong - Director of the Central Eye Hospital - said that the survey data from 2015 to now no longer fully reflects the new realities after the COVID-19 pandemic, the population aging process as well as the change in disease patterns.
According to Mr. Dong, Vietnam currently has about 26 million people in the high-risk group over 50 years old. Meanwhile, many eye diseases are increasing such as retinal disease due to diabetes, hypertension, glaucoma and refractive errors.
After more than 10 years, Vietnam needs the most practical data to know who is sick, what disease is sick, in which area and what the cause is. From there, it can build a suitable eye care strategy in the new period" - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Ngoc Dong emphasized.
Prof. Dr. Tran Van Thuan - Deputy Minister of Health assessed that RAAB 2026 is not only a professional survey but also a platform for building health policies based on evidence and practical data.
The Deputy Minister of Health requested units to implement the program to ensure scientific, objective, standardized and on schedule. Collected data must be "correct, sufficient, clean, live, unified and shared" to serve the development of the national blindness prevention strategy in the new period.
According to Dr. Vu Tuan Anh - Head of the Steering Department of the Central Eye Hospital - Vietnam has undergone 4 national-scale blindness prevention investigations since 1986.
The 2015 survey results showed that the rate of blindness in people over 50 years old accounts for about 1.8% of the population, equivalent to about 329,000 blind people. Notably, about 80% of cause of blindness can be treated or prevented.
The leading causes of blindness today include cataracts, refractive errors, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy.
RAAB 2026 with many innovations in sample selection methods and application of modern technology will create an important data source for the Vietnamese eye industry.
Representatives of international organizations also committed to continuing to accompany Vietnam in community eye care programs, helping people access better ophthalmology services and supporting the implementation of global vision goals. Domestic and international experts will conduct training for investigators and coordinators from 12 provinces and cities participating in the program.
The RAAB 2026 survey results are expected to be announced later this year, serving as a basis for building eye care policies and promoting the implementation of the Vision 2030 goal in Vietnam.
