Hue, April 2025 — The “Eye-care Outreach Project for Primary and Secondary School Students in Huong Tra Town,” implemented by Hearts for Hue and funded by the DOVE Fund, has concluded successfully after six months, bringing significant and lasting benefits to the local community.
Background and Urgent Needs
Huong Tra is a town in Thua Thien Hue province with over 66,000 residents, including many living in mountainous and disadvantaged areas with limited access to healthcare, especially eye care services. Prior to the project, most students had never undergone a proper eye examination. A baseline survey found that around 2,000 students were in urgent need of eye care, yet financial constraints prevented their families from seeking treatment.
Well-Structured and Effective Implementation
With a grant of $20,000 from the DOVE Fund, the project carried out several key activities:
Training for local health workers: Two comprehensive training courses were held for 20 doctors and nurses from 9 Commune Health Centers (CHCs) and 24 school medical officers, focusing on blindness prevention and eye screening.
Distribution of equipment: Basic eye screening tools were provided to CHCs and schools, including eye charts, magnifying glasses, occluders, and penlights.
Mass eye screening: More than 10,000 students from 24 schools received vision screenings. Of those, 910 students were identified with suspected refractive errors.
Specialist eye exams and free glasses: 600 students diagnosed with refractive issues were given detailed examinations using professional equipment and received free prescription glasses.
Referrals for treatment: Special cases, including strabismus and eye injury, were referred to Huong Tra Medical Center for follow-up care.
Triple Impact of the Project
The mid-term review revealed three major impacts:
Capacity building at the grassroots level: Local healthcare providers were empowered to detect and manage eye conditions, creating a sustainable network for early intervention.
Healthcare equity: The project ensured students in rural and mountainous areas had equal access to eye care, improving both health and educational outcomes.
Support for provincial health infrastructure: Thua Thien Hue Eye Hospital emerged as a key training center for vision care, expanding its regional influence.
Recognition and Future Prospects
The project received strong appreciation from local authorities, educators, and parents. In a letter of appreciation, the Department of Education and Training of Huong Tra noted that the program had “significantly improved students’ learning capabilities” and “laid a solid foundation for long-term school health services.”
Hearts for Hue team.
Here is the video about the programe: https://youtu.be/a7RFLFRA85o
