Indigenous Australia

	Country Snap Shot & Eyecare Profile
	Country Australia Region Western Pacific Capital Canberra Area (sq/km) 7,686,850 Geography Provinces / Districts *Population 20,264,082 *Population Below Poverty Line NA% *Infant Mortality/1000 births 4.63 *GDP Per Capita ($US) $31,900 Schools of Optometry 3 Optometrists 3,000 Opticians   Ophthalmologists 750 Eye Health Workers   Optometrist Association Yes Vision 2020 Signatory    Vision 2020 National Plan   National Eyecare Health Plan

• The “Review of the Implementation of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Program” was conducted for the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing, and the Government’s response was released in May. Recommendations accepted by the Department of Health and Ageing may prove to be of assistance in the development of ICEE’s Aboriginal Eyecare Program.
• A number of recommendations from the NSW Government’s 2001/2002 review of its Rural Aerial Health Service were implemented this year. Whilst transport continues to be provided by the Royal Flying Doctor Service, bookings and timetables are now organised by individual Area Health Services. This has removed some of the flexibility in the Royal Flying Doctor Service so that visits to some locations now require an overnight stay, and some locations now require vehicle travel in addition to a flight.
• A pilot mobile service by car was introduced to visit Aboriginal communities in remote locations. Two trips were made to communities in the far west and south west of NSW. If this program proves to be sustainable, funding will be sought to obtain a more appropriate vehicle.

Since the ICEE/AHMRC Eyecare Program commenced with its first one-day clinic at Walgett in December 1999, more than 9,000 eye examinations have been conducted by ICEE optometrists and more than 8,000 pairs of glasses, low vision aids and contact lenses have been supplied through the NSW Government spectacle program.

Many of the people examined by ICEE had not had an eye examination before and many shared glasses purchased at hardware stores, service stations and chemists. In very many instances, these glasses were little better than “nothing at all”. In every one of these instances an opportunity had been missed to detect the presence of ocular disease or ocular signs of systemic disorder. The consequences of missing these signs can be grave and costly in very many ways.

A spin-off of ICEE’s Aboriginal Eyecare Program is that many of the great number of Aboriginal people with Type 2 Diabetes who are at risk of suffering blindness or severely impaired vision in one or both eyes are now regularly reviewed in accordance with NHMRC guidelines. Data from ICEE / AHMRC Eye Clinics indicates that more than 15% of Aboriginal people in NSW have diabetes, with the accompanying high risk of vision loss and blindness.

During the year a number of valuable items of equipment, lenses, and spectacle frames were donated to the program. To the donors and to all who have assisted in ensuring the success of the program we offer our thanks.

Aboriginal Eyecare Publication

All ICEE Publications

	PerSONAL STORY
	Anita Dwyer is one of seven Aboriginal Eye Health Coordinators located in NSW, who are responsible for creating awareness of the need for regular eye care among Aboriginal communities and for arranging for this eye care to be locally available and accessible. Based at the Wellington Aboriginal Corp. Health Service in Western NSW, Anita’s region of responsibility extends from Bathurst in the East, to Hillston in the West, Cobar and Nyngan in the North, and Parkes and Forbes in the South. In association with ICEE optometrists, Anita conducts Eye Clinics regularly at Aboriginal Community-controlled facilities at Wellington, Bathurst, Murrin Bridge, Parkes and Dubbo, and as a result clocks up a lot of kilometres. To visit more distant locations such as Murrin Bridge, which is about 20 kms from Lake Cargelligo, she flies with the ICEE optometrist utilizing the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the NSW Government Rural Aerial Health Service. She coordinates the organisation of the Clinics and ensures that the local communities know about the important services available. In particular, the Eye Clinics enable Aboriginal people with diabetes to have regular eye examinations, and part of Anita’s work is to ensure that these people keep their appointments. Once a year, Anita also screens Aboriginal children at preschools and primary schools in her area. Children failing the screening are referred to an optometrist at one of the clinics. Anita finds her work rewarding as she enjoys visiting the Aboriginal communities, meeting new people and “having a yarn”. She also believes that her work is proving to be of great benefit to members of the Aboriginal community. Before eye clinics became established within Aboriginal Medical Services, there were very many Aboriginal people who did not seek eye and vision care, resulting in vision loss. The accessibility of the Eye Clinics is improving vision for the Aboriginal people of NSW.