The Fred Hollows Foundation has joined other Australian organisations in celebrating the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) validation 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 and 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 their economic productivity and education outcomes.
The foundation, with the support of the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), the US Agency for International Development (USAID), RTI International, the International Trachoma Initiative and UNICEF, has helped drive the final push to eliminate the disease in Vietnam.
National government agencies the 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 CEO Mr Ian Wishart congratulated the Vietnam 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,” he said.
The 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.
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