Ba Ria-Vung Tau Eye Hospital Director, Dr. Nguyen Viet Giap, has been awarded the 2023 Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) Outstanding Service in Prevention of Blindness Award. The award was presented to him and 17 others during the 38th APAP Congress in Malaysia on February 25, making him the sixth member of the Vietnam Ophthalmological Society (VOS) to receive this honour since its establishment over 60 years ago. With over 30 years of experience in ophthalmology, Giap has conducted more than 50 scientific research projects and raised valuable initiatives.


Over the past decade, his initiatives have helped over 114,000 elderly people access free medical checkups and treatment, and 17,500 others to receive surgeries. The rate of blindness among residents over 50 years old in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has dropped from 3.31% in 2007 to 1.69% in 2020 thanks to his efforts. He has also provided free checkups and treatment to more than 200,000 local students, given glasses to 15,000 poor students, and organized over 200 training courses for more than 2,500 medical staff in localities and schools.