Vision Excellence Awards: Ngy Meng

As Director of the Khmer Soviet Friendship Hospital (the largest specialist hospital in Cambodia), Professor of Ophthalmology Ngy Meng manages more than 800 staff members within 27 wards. He is also Chairman of the National Program for Eye Health (Ministry of Health) and the leading eye health expert in the Kingdom of Cambodia.

Professor Meng’s journey as a medical doctor began in 1993 after graduating from the University of Health Sciences of Cambodia. From 2001, Professor Meng specialised in eye health and was one of the first ophthalmologists to receive a Professor of Ophthalmology title in 2012. His passion for eye care in Cambodia and globally, particularly in neighbouring Asian countries, is driven by the need to improve quality eye care, especially for those in the most disadvantaged communities. Professor Meng is frequently invited to share his expertise at international forums.

During 27 years of dedication and commitment to improving the quality and accessibility of eye health, Professor Meng reached the following milestones:

Leading the elimination of Trachoma as a public health problem. (In 2017, at the 68th Session of the Regional Committee of the WHO Western Pacific Region (Brisbane, Australia), the Cambodia Ministry of Health received Recognition for Trachoma Elimination) Development of Cambodia National Strategic Plans for Blindness Prevention and Control (20082015) and (2016-2020) ensuring Cambodia eye health aligns with the IAPB/WHO VISION 2020 strategic direction Decrease in the prevalence of avoidable blindness from all major causes to 0.37%, as indicated in the RAAB 2019 Expansion of eye health services coverage to all 25 cities/provinces due to the adaptation of complementary and minimum package activities to include eye care in hospitals and health centres Development of training programs for eye health professionals, including Ophthalmology Residency Training and sub-specialty courses and Refraction and Ophthalmic Nurse training programs Leading projects at all government levels and coordinating other eye health NGOs Leading cross-cutting approaches through consultation with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, the Ministry of Women Affairs and the Ministry of Social Affairs, Veteran and Youth Rehabilitation to ensure eye health provision for marginalised groups including women and children, people with disabilities, and ethnic minority groups.

Not only is Professor Meng a respected leader of eye health at the international and national levels, but he is also continuously working at the grass-roots level with the Provincial Health Services to improve the quality and accessibility of eye health services for communities.

During the recent COVID-19 global pandemic, Professor Meng again displayed exemplary leadership by instigating the eye health sector response, most significantly by providing protective kits to eye health units in every province throughout Cambodia.

Professor Meng’s dedication is best summarised in his own words, “make quality eye health services available everywhere for everyone in Cambodia.”

Representatives for eye health programmes, including The Eye Care Foundation, the Fred Hollows Foundation, SEVA Foundation, BHVI, and Caritas-Takeo Eye Hospital, take great pleasure in nominating Professor Ngy Meng for the IAPB VISION EXCELLENCE AWARD.