Orbis International and NIDEK Join Forces to Scale Up Artificial Intelligence Eye Screenings in Vietnam

News provided by

Jan 16, 2024, 07:57 ET

The ophthalmic equipment manufacturer donates cameras and awards financial support to the global eye care nonprofit's Vietnam program over the next three years.

NEW YORK, Jan. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Orbis International announces an important in-kind and financial donation from NIDEK to support Orbis's artificial intelligence (AI)-based screening services in Vietnam. The donation of six specialized fundus cameras, which take images of the retina (back of the eye), will support the scale up of Orbis' AI-based diabetic retinopathy screening program in Vietnam. These cameras are expected to support the screening of 72,000 patients with diabetes over the next three years.

Dr. Hieu uses Orbis’s Cybersight AI platform to detect diabetic retinopathy and other blinding eye diseases at My Tho district health center in Vietnam. Photo: Orbis International

The addition of the NIDEK cameras to Orbis's program will expand its presence to six high-volume screening health facilities in three provinces across Vietnam – including Giao Thuy District Health Center and Nam Dinh General Hospital in Nam Dinh province, Nghe An Endocrinology Hospital and Tay Bac Regional Hospital in Nghe An province and Can Tho General Hospital and Can Tho Heart Hospital in Can Tho city – improving capacity to detect and promptly treat diabetic retinopathy, a potentially blinding disease that every person with diabetes is at risk of developing.

Images from NIDEK's superior desktop fundus cameras will be uploaded to and graded by Cybersight AI, Orbis's state-of-the-art technology, determining within seconds if diabetic retinopathy is detected. This allows patients the opportunity to be referred immediately for treatment, without first waiting days or even weeks for screening results that rely on human grading of the images.

"According to the Vietnam National Endocrinology Hospital, in the past 20 years, the prevalence of diabetes in the country has increased from 2.7% of the population to 7.3% of the population, and this trend continues to grow," said Ngoc Pham, Country Director, Orbis Vietnam. "There are not enough trained medical professionals to meet the demand for eye screening for people living with diabetes. Cybersight AI and high-quality cameras will help ease the burden on medical facilities already at capacity by detecting diabetic retinopathy."

"We are excited and confident that our partnership with Orbis and technological collaboration with their Cybersight AI, will certainly improve the diabetic retinopathy screening situation in Vietnam." says Motoki Ozawa, President and CEO of NIDEK CO., LTD. "Our purpose is to provide the joy of vision and health care through our technology and deliver unwavering commitment to people all over the world. We are committed to deliver joy of vision to people in Vietnam by supporting early detection and immediate referrals".

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease that effects approximately one in three people living with diabetes. If left untreated, it can lead to vision loss and blindness. Most people living with diabetes reside in low- and middle-income countries, like Vietnam. Vietnam has approximately 7 million people with diabetes, and diabetic retinopathy is one of the leading causes of blindness and vision loss in the country.

About Orbis

Orbis is an international nonprofit delivering sight-saving programs in over 200 countries and regions worldwide so that individuals, families, and communities can thrive. Currently, around 1 billion people across the globe live with completely avoidable blindness and vision loss. For over four decades, Orbis has been tackling this challenge by building strong and sustainable eye care systems that leave a lasting legacy of vision. Orbis runs dedicated in-country programs in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America; develops and implements innovative training and technology, including an award-winning telemedicine and e-learning platform, Cybersight; and operates the world's first and only Flying Eye Hospital, a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft. For the past ten consecutive years, Orbis has achieved Charity Navigator's coveted four-star rating for demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency, placing Orbis in the top 3% of U.S. charities. For the past two years, Orbis has earned GuideStar's platinum Seal of Transparency. In 2022, Orbis earned "accredited charity" status from the Better Business Bureau by meeting all 20 of their standards for charity accountability. To learn more, please visit orbis.org.

About NIDEK

NIDEK CO., LTD., is a global leader in the design, manufacture, and distribution of ophthalmic, optometric, and lens edging equipment. Due to their technological expertise in combing optical and electronic technologies, the company has been at the forefront of ophthalmic innovation, creating industry leading products.

MEDIA CONTACT
Orbis International
Jenna Montgomery
Manager, Global Communications and Marketing
[email protected]

NIDEK CO., LTD.
Secretariat & Public Relations
[email protected]

SOURCE Orbis International