A child's eyes are examined for trachoma in the final trachoma surveillance survey (TSS) in Ha Giang Dec 2022. Picture provided by Fred Hollows Foundation.
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) has validated that Vietnam has eliminated the eye disease trachoma as a public health problem.
Trachoma is the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. The disease thrives in areas with limited access to water and sanitation.
The infection is easily spread through personal contact and by flies that have been in contact with people’s eyes or noses. It disproportionately affects mothers and children, severely affecting families’ economic productivity and education outcomes.
Fred Hollows Foundation CEO Ian Wishart congratulated the Vietnamese government and partners for working collectively to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem.
This is a milestone achievement that was only possible because of the close cooperation and collaboration from local through to international partners
“This is a milestone achievement that was only possible because of the close cooperation and collaboration from local through to international partners,” he said.
Active partners in the project included the US Agency for International Development (USAID), RTI International, the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), the International Trachoma Initiative, UNICEF, and the Fred Hollows Foundation.
The Vietnamese Ministry of Health, Department of Medical Service Administration, and Department of Preventative Medicine also played key leadership roles to support the Viet Nam National Eye Hospital’s elimination programs.
Fred Hollows Foundation’s Vietnam Country Manager Dr Phuc Huynh Tan acknowledged the long-term commitment of people at all levels of the health system to achieve the historic result.
“In the 1990s, trachoma was one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in Vietnam.
“In Vietnam’s far north, dedicated doctors, nurses and commune health staff made challenging journeys through mountainous areas to look for signs of trachoma infection among people living in remote communities.
“Despite these obstacles – and the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic – health workers, government agencies and funding partners have made a lasting impact on people’s quality of life and wellbeing,” he said.
Vietnam’s validation follows the WHO confirmation that both Pakistan and India had eliminated trachoma as a public health concern.
