Page 33 - 2016 Annual Report

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INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIA |

increase access to culturally appropriate services in remote country. This inventory will inform the Government on the key
communities. areas needing additional equipment and support to address
the eye health conditions in their regions.
n We supported an Eye Health Coordinator at Nganampa
Health Council in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara
(APY) Lands. ADVOCACY AND INFLUENCE

n We partnered with Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet to
EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY improve accessibility to information on eye health conditions,
treatments and prevention through an online eye health portal.
n We donated more than $215,000 worth of equipment to two
facilities in the Northern Territory and five clinics across South n We supported The Redfern Statement, calling for
East Queensland. These clinics provide essential eye health government action to ‘Close the Gap’ between Aboriginal and
screening and treatment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Torres Strait Islander people and other Australians through
people in one of the fastest growing Indigenous populations in self-determination.
Queensland.
n We provided input into a landmark National Eye Health
n We donated two retinal cameras to Sunrise Health Service, Survey which highlighted the gap in eye health between
an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and other
servicing 14 remote and underserviced communities in the Australians. It found Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Katherine region. people are three times more likely to be blind than other
Australians.
n We were engaged by the Australian Government’s
Department of Health to conduct a National Eye Care n We continued to support the call for Aboriginal and Torres
Equipment Inventory, with an assessment tool being Strait Islander people to be recognised in the Australian
distributed to 155 primary health care services across the Constitution.