Ngoc Pham on behalf of Orbis International, Inc.

 

 

 

Aim

To raise awareness and improve community eyecare among the ethnic minority population in Lai Chau through primary eyecare training, outreach campaigns and distribution of communication materials.

 

Project details

Lai Chau Province, Vietnam, is home to half a million people, of which a significant proportion are ethnic minorities living in extreme poverty. There is a lack of access to primary eyecare and there is little awareness and understanding of the importance of eyecare in this community, with many individuals never having had an eye examination.

In order to address this issue, Orbis Vietnam will work together with the Lai Chau Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to implement a comprehensive eyecare model that is integrated into the existing healthcare system. This will serve to increase quality eyecare accessibility among disadvantaged populations in the region, with an estimated 400,000 people in these 7 districts benefitting from this XOVA funded initiative.
The initiative involves providing eyecare training to 220 community health workers from 7 districts in Lai Chau province. Trained health workers will subsequently carry out outreach campaigns at district health centers, to detect common eye diseases and refer more complex cases. Furthermore, educational materials will be developed and disseminated to raise public awareness on vision care and promote eyecare seeking behaviors.