Mar 04, 2026

Support for a remote ophthalmology screening project in Cambodia 2025

~Improving Access to Healthcare for Blindness Prevention, Realizing Sustainable Healthcare through Patient Education and Staff Development~

Sustainable Patient-Centric Healthcare Global Health Social Contribution

In Cambodia, access to ophthalmology care is uneven in urban areas, making it difficult for rural residents to obtain appropriate medical care. Cataracts are a particularly serious cause of blindness, and there is an urgent need for early detection and treatment. To address this issue, Chugai Pharmaceutical has continued to support projects that deliver high-quality eye care to rural residents since 2023 in collaboration with the AMDA Social Development Organization*¹ and en Vision*².

◆Background
In Cambodia, the prevalence of blindness is estimated to be 0.37% in the general population, and 2.5% among those 50 years of age or older. It is predicted that the number of people suffering from blindness will continue to increase due to population growth, aging of the population, and longer life expectancy. 92.2% of causes of blindness are avoidable, of which 80.9% are treatable and 11.3% are preventable. However, about 60% of these ophthalmologists are concentrated in the capital Phnom Penh, and the rest of the world has a serious shortage of ophthalmologists. The number of ophthalmologists is 5.12 per 1 million people, which is about half of the 10 people recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Against this background, in Cambodia, there is a need for telemedicine ophthalmology examinations. *³

◆Details
①Education for Patient
　Utilizing the waiting time for the checkup, we screened an awareness video with the following content to disseminate correct knowledge about major eye diseases.
　- Cataracts: Advanced symptoms and the effectiveness of surgical treatment
　- Diabetic retinopathy: The importance of blood sugar management and regular checkups
　- Pterygium and trauma: UV protection and prevention methods

②Education for Medical staff
　Conducted training on how to operate the test equipment and how to deal with patients.

◆Results
- Shorten the screening time from about 35 minutes in the first year to about 16 minutes in 2025.
- Nurses and medical students participated and were able to provide opportunities to gain hands-on experience in remote medical care. 

In 2025, 214 people participated in the screening over five days, of which 64 (about 30%) were judged to need medical examination. In addition, 22 people visited specialized hospitals and received treatment, including 19 cataract surgeries and 1 pterygium surgery. The most common screening results showed that cataracts were the most common, with 8.1% severe and 27.1% moderate, indicating the importance of early treatment intervention. All participants who watched the educational materials during the waiting time for the checkup answered that their awareness of eye health had improved, and the rate of wanting to have another checkup reached 100%.

Scene of the examination

Provided by: en Vision

Provided by: en Vision

A remote ophthalmology screening project in Cambodia is a major step forward to improve access to healthcare in rural areas and light of hope for many residents. We will continue to support this effort to further enhance access to ophthalmic medical care.

 

◆Reference

*1;  AMDA-MINDS (AMDA Multisectoral and Integrated Development Services)
       https://www.amda-minds.org/english/

*2;  en Vision
       https://www.envision.or.jp/en

*3;  The National Strategic Plan For Blindness Prevention & Control 2021 - 2030

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