Supporting Viet Nam's Health System
Just before he passed away in 1992, Australian ophthalmologist Professor Fred Hollows took a team to Viet Nam to train 300 surgeons, supported by the Australian Aid program.
At the time, 50 modern cataract surgeries were performed each year by just two Vietnamese eye surgeons. Now, 250,000 surgeries are performed annually in Viet Nam by 1,000 surgeons.
As the Viet Nam health system has developed over 30 years, so has our support. The Foundation continues to support local systems and has close relationships with the Government of Viet Nam, training and service providers and international organisations.
As well as cataract, our focus has evolved to include other causes of avoidable vision impairment such as diabetes and strengthening the health system. We advocate for policy and regulatory change, work with partners on surgical and service quality and data, health financing and equitable access to care, especially for women, the elderly and regional communities and scaling school eye health programs.
In 2017 we co-founded Alina Vision, a social enterprise offering high-quality services using the Affordable Eye Care Model. Fees paid by middle and upper-income patients subsidise treatment costs for low-income patients.
For more information about The Foundation visit their website.
