The Vanuatu National Eye Centre provides high-quality eye care to the people of Vanuatu. Since its significant upgrade in 2019, the Centre has become a vital hub for eye health in the region.
Vanuatu National Eye Centre/Vila Central Hospital Port Vila, Vanuatu
Opening hours
Monday – Friday 8:00am – 12:00pm, 1:00pm – 5:00pm
Saturday – Sunday & Public Holidays CLOSED
In 2001, recognising the urgent need for eye care services in Vanuatu, we partnered with the Vanuatu Ministry of Health to launch the country’s first national eye care programme and open the National Eye Centre in Port Vila.
By 2018, the demand for eye care had grown significantly, and the existing facility could no longer keep up. To address this, in collaboration with the Vanuatu Ministry of Health, we undertook a $2.5 million upgrade and expansion of the National Eye Centre. Officially reopened in February 2019, the upgraded facility has transformed eye care delivery in Vanuatu.
The Centre now provides dedicated treatment rooms for diabetes eye disease, a fully equipped operating theatre, and additional resources to improve patient care. This upgrade, along with the return of Dr Johnson Kasso, Vanuatu’s first Foundation-trained eye doctor, dramatically increased the country’s surgical capacity from 200 to 800 procedures annually, meeting the World Health Organization’s target surgical rate for eliminating avoidable blindness.
Today, the clinic is led by Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr Andronico Ly, who joined the team in 2023. Dr Kasso is now based in Santo, and continues to support the team through surgical outreaches around the country.
The 2019 upgrade brought significant improvements to the National Eye Centre, including:
These enhancements have made the Centre a model for eye care in the Pacific and a vital resource for the people of Vanuatu.
