More and more children are suffering from refraction in Vietnam, particularly in big cities where nearly 40 percent of children aged 6-15 years have contracted eye refractive defects.

The figures were released at the annual congress of the Vietnam Ophthalmological Society, jointly held by the society and the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology in Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, Vietnam News Agency reported.

The institute's director Nguyen Xuan Hiep said the refraction rate among rural children is 15-20 percent lower compared to that of children living in urban areas.

A recent survey by the institute showed that some 3 million children with poor vision or impaired sight are in need of examinations and prescribed glasses, he said, stating that quality of eye care in Vietnam still falls short of expectations.

There are around 16,400 children who have impaired vision due to retinal damage, corneal abrasion, cataracts, and glaucoma. However, Vietnam is still short of qualified treatment facilities, while the eye care capacity in provincial hospitals remains weak.

The three-day congress drew the participation of nearly 2,000 delegates, including experts from Australia, China, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand.