At the 75th meeting of the World Health Organization (WHO) in the Western Pacific region, held in the Philippines on October 21, 2024, WHO officially recognized and honored Vietnam to successfully pay trachoma. This is a historic milestone for the health sector in particular and the country of Vietnam in general, affirming the persistent efforts for more than seven decades in the prevention of the disease that used to be very popular and causing this blindness.
Dr. Angela Pratt - Chief Representative of WHO in Vietnam - affirmed that trachoma is the disease of poverty, and the remote communities, lack of clean water and hygienic conditions are the most affected places. Vietnam has proven that it is possible to access the most difficult population groups, invest in properly to protect the health of the people and ensure a future with no extra eye disease.
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The establishment of the seedling Institute in 1957, the forerunner of the Central Eye Hospital, marked a big turning point in preventing blindness, especially trachoma. Since then, the movement to prevent the whole country with mobile examination activities, surgery, training of local ophthalmic staff and personal hygiene propaganda.
The main cause of trachoma is due to poor hygiene conditions, cramped living space, lack of clean water and hygiene system.
In order to maintain the results of paying forched eye disease, Dr. Angela Pratt recommends that Vietnam needs to: continue monitoring, treating, expanding access to clean and hygienic water; improve the quality of eye care services nationwide; Take advantage of this momentum to eliminate other forgotten tropical diseases.
Deputy Minister of Health Tran Van Thuan emphasized that the disease payment is not subjective. It is necessary to continue monitoring and raising community awareness, financial guarantee for disease prevention, including payment of surgery through health insurance.
