Vietnam has 5 million children with refractive errors

The figure was highlighted by Dr. Dinh Thi Phuong Thuy, CEO of Dong Do Hospital, at the scientific conference 'Pediatric Eye Care: From Theory to Practice,' held in Hanoi on Tuesday, with the participation of many domestic and international ophthalmologists.

Notably, the rate is higher in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, and other urban areas, where some places see more than 50 percent of the school-aged children suffer from refractive errors.

Excessive screen time and poor lighting while studying are among the main causes, experts noted.

In addition, amblyopia, commonly known as 'lazy eye' – a condition in which vision does not improve even with glasses – affects one to five percent of children under six, or 100,000-500,000 cases.

Without early detection and treatment, the condition can cause long-term vision impairment.

Vietnam has two to four percent of children, or around 200,000–400,000 cases, with strabismus. 

Early treatment can help prevent vision problems later in life.

At the conference, two experts from the U.S. and Australia shared diagnostic and treatment techniques for pediatric eye diseases, including proper prescription of children’s glasses, non-surgical treatment of strabismus, treatment of nystagmus in children, and methods to improve pediatric eye care in Vietnam.