Orbis and Roche Pharma Vietnam announce diabetic eye care partnership

Orbis has teamed up with Roche Pharma Vietnam in a two-year partnership to prevent avoidable vision loss and improve the long-term health outcomes of diabetic patients in the country.

The partnership aims to address the increasing prevalence of diabetic eye conditions in Vietnam.

Around seven million people in the country have diabetes, with many at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy.

Roche Pharma Vietnam will provide Orbis with funding, technical expertise, guidance and local health system knowledge, in order to tackle the situation over the next two years.

The Vietnam Eye Health Programme will implement services to improve long-term health outcomes for diabetic patients, and is expected to reach around 27,000 patients who are currently at risk of avoidable blindness.

The work will take place across seven Orbis partner hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The partnership “will establish a comprehensive and sustainable model for diabetic eye care services, ensuring that patients receive seamless care from diagnosis to treatment, led by a holistic and patient-centred approach,” Orbis said.

It will provide training to healthcare professionals and equip hospitals with advanced diagnostic tools.

Artificial intelligence-assisted screening through Orbis’s Cybersight programme will support early detection, referral and treatment, the charity said.

Real world data to help local authorities develop technical guidelines in diabetic retinopathy management will also be provided as part of the programme.

A “cutting edge partnership”

Rebecca Cronin, chief executive of Orbis UK, said: “We are delighted to launch this cutting-edge partnership with Orbis Vietnam and Roche.

“When livelihoods depend on seeing clearly, the risk of undiagnosed or untreated vision problems, such as diabetic retinopathy, can have a devastating impact on communities and families.”

Cronin added: “This cross-country partnership will address a rising problem affecting millions of people, ensuring that more communities in Vietnam have access to the life-changing eye care services they need.”

Ngoc Pham, country director for Orbis Vietnam, noted that more than two million people in the country currently live with blindness and vision loss, and that around 90% of these cases are avoidable.

“The need for this partnership has never been more urgent,” Pham said, adding: “Our two-year partnership with Roche will help to eliminate the growing stigma and social exclusion created by a lack of understanding of diabetic eye conditions.”

Lennor Carrillo, general manager at Roche Pharma Vietnam, said that the project will assist in “co-creating solutions that will significantly enhance long-term health outcomes for diabetic patients and the healthcare system across the country.”

Roche has three decades of experience working in Vietnam, Carrillo said.

Carrillo added that there is scope for the programme to be expanded further throughout Vietnam after its initial two-year duration.

Read more about Orbis’s work in Vietnam on the Orbis website.