Investing in Sight-Saving Eye Care in the NT and WA

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8 April 2010

Indigenous communities of Central Australia will receive more sight-restoring surgery in a week long blitz at the Alice Springs Hospital, the Minister for Indigenous Health, Warren Snowdon, said today.

About 50 patients will benefit from the eye surgery intensive, which will take place at the Alice Springs Hospital from 19 to 23 April.

It will be the ninth intensive eye surgery week that’s occurred in Central Australia since 2007, which have resulted in a total of 416 procedures.

These surgeries are a direct result of the work of the collaborating partners of the Central Australian and Barkly Integrated Eye Health Strategy.

The Australian Government has committed over $600,000 to the strategy since 2006 and will contribute more than $450,000 over the next three years until 2012-13.

Today, the Rudd Government signed a historic statement of collaboration, to show its ongoing commitment to eye health in Barkly and Central Australia.

The statement, signed with The Fred Hollows Foundation, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress, Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation and the Northern Territory Government, will establish a new framework.

The integrated eye health service delivery model for Central Australia and the Barkly will ensure there is a one-stop shop for eye care from screening and treatment, right through to follow up.

Mr Snowdon, who was in Alice Springs today to sign the Statement of Collaboration, said the Strategy will improve the provision of eye health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“It is an absolute tragedy that in the past Indigenous people have become vision impaired or blind due to a lack of access to surgery,” he said.

“Access to comprehensive eye health care services, including specialist care and surgery, is critical if eye health conditions are to be detected and treated as early as possible.

“Indigenous adults are 6.2 times more likely to go blind and 2.8 times more likely to be vision impaired than the non-Indigenous population,” Mr Snowdon said.

The strategy aims to help establish an eye health clinic at the Alice Springs Hospital to improve the provision of eye health services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

The strategy announced today is part of the Rudd Government’s $58.3 million commitment to Improving Eye and Ear Health Services for Indigenous Australians for Better Education and Employment, unveiled in 2009.

Today, Mr Snowdon also announced the first of many agreements with States and Territories to tackle trachoma in Indigenous communities will be rolled out.

The Rudd Government has agreed to provide almost $1.7 million to the Western Australia Country Health Service until 30 June next year, to expand WA’s programs to prevent and control trachoma.

Under this agreement more than 85 communities will be screened and treated for trachoma, including 20 communities not previously visited. The program will include increased numbers of visits to communities to facilitate greater participation and follow up treatment.

The Rudd Government is also close to finalising a new funding agreement with the Northern Territory Department of Health and Families for trachoma activities.

This will establish two regional teams, in Central Australia and the Top End, to deliver a comprehensive and systematic trachoma and trichiasis screening, treatment and health promotion program to communities in the Northern Territory where trachoma is endemic

Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection that is contagious and can cause blindness.

Other eye conditions in Indigenous communities include refractive error, where glasses are required for correction, as well as cataract where the lens is clouded or diabetic retinopathy where diabetes has caused damage to the retina.

Media contact: Alice Plate 0400 045 999