Raising awareness about Glaucoma for patients and caregivers

Novartis Vietnam and Hanoi Eye Hospital signed a cooperation agreement on October 24 to launch the Glaucoma Hybrid Patient Class. This is the first hybrid patient education model combining face-to-face and online platforms.

Different from traditional patient classes being organized face to face in the hospitals, this hybrid model will make it convenient for more patients to attend and help them with increased awareness and compliance in the treatment of Glaucoma which is known as “the silent thief of vision” causing permanently irreversible loss of human vision and is the second leading cause of blindness in Vietnam and many regions of the world.

The program has taken place at 3 leading Eye Hospitals in Vietnam including Hanoi Eye Hospital. The program will last for 3 months from October 2022 to December 2022.

At the event, doctors shared up-to-date information about glaucoma in Vietnam and around the world, the causes affecting the quality of treatment, discussed solutions to raise awareness and provided more knowledge for patients and caregivers during glaucoma treatment.

Sharing about the program’s potential, PhD. Med.Dr. Nguyen Xuan Tinh – Director of Hanoi Eye Hospital affirmed, with the combination of both face-to-face and online platforms supported by digital technology, I believe this is a very effective health education patient class model that can help patients and caregivers who cannot go to the hospital still have access to health information, medical advice, and answers to Glaucoma-related questions – one of the leading causes of blindness on the world and in Vietnam. “Through the program, patients and caregivers are provided with thorough information and advice about their medical condition, thereby helping them to realize the importance of early detection and timely treatment of glaucoma, especially adherence to the treatment regimen”, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Tinh said.

According to Ms. Dinh Nguyen Huynh Mai, Head of In-market Brand and Business Innovation, Novartis Vietnam, for many years, Novartis is proud to be a trusted partner of the Vietnamese healthcare system and the Ophthalmology in preserving sight for patients from preventable eye disease. “Together with healthcare facilities and ophthalmology community, we always put patients at the center and constantly strive to find solutions to help them continue to see the beautiful and colorful world with healthy eyes. In addition, we are committed to developing public healthcare projects and expanding cooperation programs to contribute to improving the performance of Vietnam's health system. The Glaucoma Hybrid Patient Class for patients is a concrete testament to that commitment," Ms. Dinh Nguyen Huynh Mai noted.

With a variety of implementation platforms, the program aims to increase awareness about Glaucoma for patients, and support them to update, supplement and improve ophthalmic knowledge to improve their eye health.  The signing of the cooperation agreement and the launch of the Glaucoma Hybrid Patient Class for patients is a meaningful milestone marking the partnership between Hanoi Eye Hospital and Novartis to bring the best benefits to Glaucoma patients not only in Hanoi but throughout Vietnam in general.

According to statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO), Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. In 2020, the number of people (ages 40-80) with glaucoma in the world is about 79.6 million, which is predicted to increase to 111.8 million by 2040, of which Asian glaucoma patients account for 47%. In developed countries, about 50% of people with glaucoma do not know they have the disease and do not go to the doctor. Meanwhile, in developing countries, this number can increase by up to 90%.

In Vietnam, according to the second epidemiological survey by the National Eye Institute and Atlantic Philanthropies on the situation of blindness in 16 provinces in 2007, 24,800 people were blind in both eyes due to Glaucoma which was the second cause of blindness. In 2015 there were 13,160 people blind due to Glaucoma which was the 4th leading cause of blindness in the country.