Croatia’s vision screening program reaches many children

Croatian health officials reported that approximately one in six four-year-old children screened through the National Early Detection of Vision Impairment program require further examination.

Minister of Health Irena Hrstić stated that the program, called “Let’s Examine on Time,” confirms the importance of early detection of amblyopia, commonly known as lazy eye. The program currently reaches 55 percent of invited children, with officials aiming to improve participation.

Krunoslav Capak, director of the Croatian Institute of Public Health (HZJZ), emphasized that amblyopia is difficult to identify without a professional examination, so doctors are proactively reaching out to four-year-olds. Tomislav Benjak, an assistant director at HZJZ, noted that a 55 percent response rate is good for national preventative programs, but there is room for improvement.

Officials are exploring ways to increase participation, including automated appointment confirmations and better data connection between HZJZ and the Ministry of Internal Affairs to improve contact with parents. Mladen Bušić, chair of the program’s implementation committee, pointed out that parents often cannot detect vision problems on their own, making screening essential. A pilot program conducting screenings directly in kindergartens achieved a 92 percent parent response rate.

Croatia was the first country in the world to establish a National Amblyopia Day ten years ago.