The three-day conference from September 9 to 12 reviewed blindness prevention services in Vietnam and draw up plans for the next few years. The annual conference is a scientific forum for eye specialists and doctors to share their experiences and highlight research projects that have applied advanced technology in recent times.

This year’s conference has attracted more than 600 delegates from all 63 provinces and cities and many international experts from Japan, India, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines and Thailand.

The visiting experts presented the results of 76 research projects on a number of important issues such as refraction treatment, cataract surgery, glaucoma, eye trauma, plastic surgery, and cornea transplants. They also introduced new treatment methods, medicines and modern ophthalmology equipment.

The Vietnam Ophthalmology Association awarded certificates of merit to five optical services: the Ho Chi Minh City National Institute of Ophthalmology, the Da Nang Eye Hospital, Can Tho Eye Hospital, the Centre for Social Disease Prevention in Vinh Long province and Hai Phong Eye Hospital for their outstanding contributions to preventing blindness in the country in 2008 and 2009.

Also during the conference, an exhibition was held to underline ophthalmology achievements both at home and abroad.