THUA THIEN HUE — Orbis International signed an agreement with the central province of Thua Thien- Hue to improve eyecare and reduce rates of blindness for children in seven central provinces.

The Ministry of Health has estimated that annually between 10,000-15,000 children in the region are in need of eyecare, while 1,000 to 1,500 of that number require surgeries.

The project, funded by the Canadian International Development Agency, will also establish a treatment centre for retinopathy in premature infants at Hue Central Hospital, expected to improve the vision of 500 premature newborns over the next three years.

Thirty per cent of premature infants with a birthweight of less than 2kg face a risk of blindness without timely eye examination and treatment, according to the ministry.

The30-month, US$600,000 project will also provide human resources training for the Hue Othalmology Hospital in order to turn it into one of three leading paediatric eye centres in Viet Nam. — VNS