PUBLIC-PRIVATE COLLABORATION CRUCIAL TO ENSURING QUALITY, ACCESSIBLE EYE CARE - WAN AZIZAH

KUALA LUMPUR, April 26 (Bernama) -- The responsibility of safeguarding Malaysia’s eye care is a shared endeavour, said Bandar Tun Razak member of parliament Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

The wife of the Prime Minister said both public and private hospitals play a crucial role as caretakers of eye health, ensuring that quality eye care is accessible to all.

“This collective effort strengthens our ability to provide world-class ophthalmology services, bridging gaps in accessibility and bringing vision care closer to communities in need,” she said when officiating the Malaysian Ophthalmology Scientific Congress (MOSC) 2025 here today.

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Noting that Malaysia has achieved a significant milestone in ophthalmology practice, Wan Azizah said the National Eye Survey III, conducted in 2023, reported a dramatic reduction in the prevalence of blindness in earmarked regions across the country.

She said the survey recorded a decrease from 1.6 per cent to 0.8 per cent in the eastern regions, and from 2.1 per cent to 0.6 per cent in Sarawak, reflecting the nation’s progress in enhancing eye care services.

“It is truly impressive to see progress in achievements and advancements in this field spearheaded by the young of today, a testament to the power of innovation, determination and community-focused care,” she said.

The former deputy prime minister said the National Eye Database (NED), established in 2002, has been instrumental in this journey, empowering ophthalmologists to make evidence-based decisions that continually improve patient outcomes.

Wan Azizah said the data-driven approach earned Malaysia the honour of hosting the World Health Organisation/ International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) meeting on cataract surgery outcomes in 2018, describing it as a proud moment that highlighted the country’s leadership in global eye care standards.

On the MOSC, she said the three-day congress, themed "United We Stand: One Vision for Malaysia," which began yesterday, brings together a distinguished assembly of professionals from both public and private healthcare sectors to share knowledge and discuss strategies to improve the future of eye care in Malaysia.

At the event, Wan Azizah was presented with the Lifetime Achievement in Ophthalmology 2025 Award in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the field, having previously served as an ophthalmologist from 1978 to 1993.

-- BERNAMA