2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference
2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference
Conference Report
The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference 2021: The Gap and Beyond – Report
Indigenous Eye Health (IEH) at the University of Melbourne and the Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia (AHCSA) co-hosted the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference 2021: The Gap and Beyond, as a fully online conference, on 20-22April 2021.
The Conference welcomed 237 registered delegates, and over 60 speakers and presenters, working across all parts of the eye care pathway, and attending from all states and territories.
The 2021 Conference is the fifth annual national conference of the sector. The 2021 Conference included elements originally scheduled for the COVID-19 pandemic impacted and postponed 2020 Close the Gap for Vision by 2020 National Conference.
Thanks to the generosity of speakers, recordings of keynote and plenary presentations from the Conference are available via the link below. The recordings also include two presentations that were scheduled but not accessible because of technical difficulties.
The 2021 Conference was actively supported by a Program Advisory Group, consisting of representatives of the two co-host organisations, IEH and AHCSA, together with Optometry Australia, the Royal Australia and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, Vision 2020 Australia, The Fred Hollows Foundation and the Brien Holden Foundation.
IEH would like to thank co-host AHCSA and Program Advisory Group members, the wonderful Conference speakers and presenters for sharing their stories, and all Conference delegates who participated, contributed, listened, and connected through the event.
A special congratulations to the winners of the 2020 Leaky Pipe Awards and the 2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Awards, which were presented during the Conference (additional details in link below & tab to left).
Feedback from Conference delegates was very positive, and pointed to the annual Conference as a cherished gathering spot for sharing information and mutual learning across the sector. IEH has committed to support the 2022 National Conference, and more details will be released in the second half of the year.
Conference Recordings
Keynote Speakers Recordings
These presentations are shared with permission from the authors
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Professor Alex Brown
Professor Alex Brown (Aboriginal Health Equity Theme Leader at SAHMRI, and Professor of Medicine at the University of Adelaide)
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Professor Marcia Langton
Professor Marcia Langton AO (Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies, The University of Melbourne and Associate Provost, The University of Melbourne)
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Ricky Miller-Segura
Wirangu/Kokatha man from South Australia
Plenary 'The Gap...' - Recordings & Presentations
These presentations are shared with permission from the authors
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Prof Nitin Verma
Prof Nitin Verma (President, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists)
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Prof Nitin Verma (presentation)
Close the Gap RANZCO Initiatives (PDF presentation). Prof Nitin Verma (President, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists)
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Dr John Kaldor
Elimination of trachoma in Australia: How are we tracking? Dr John Kaldor (Kirby Institute, University of NSW)
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Ben Hamlyn
‘A South Australian optometrist’s perspective on closing the gap for vision...much done and much to do. Ben Hamlyn (Optometry Australia)
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Ben Hamlyn (presentation)
‘A South Australian optometrist’s perspective on closing the gap for vision...much done and much to do (PDF presentation). Ben Hamlyn (Optometry Australia)
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Celia McCarthy and Dennis Conlon
The IUIH Cataract Surgery Pathway successfully providing clinical and social support. Celia McCarthy and Dennis Conlon (Institute for Urban Indigenous Health IUIH)
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A/Prof Angus Turner
The evolution of the northwest hub – establishing a new regional base for eye health. A/Prof Angus Turner (Lions Eye Institute)
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A/Prof Angus Turner (presentation)
The evolution of the northwest hub – establishing a new regional base for eye health (PDF presentation). A/Prof Angus Turner (Lions Eye Institute)
Plenary '...and Beyond' - Recordings & Presentations
These presentations are shared with permission from the authors
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Dr Kris Rallah-Baker
Dr Kris Rallah-Baker (Chair, Vision 2020 Australia Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee)
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Anne-Marie Banfield
Community lead eye care – 2020 and beyond. Anne-Marie Banfield (Hearing Australia)
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Karadi Aboriginal Corporation
Karadi Aboriginal Corporation, our journey into Indigenous Eye Health, a good news story. Emma Robertson and Marc Hicks (Karadi Aboriginal Corporation)
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Karadi Aboriginal Corporation (presentation)
Karadi Aboriginal Corporation, our journey into Indigenous Eye Health, a good news story (PDF presentation). Emma Robertson and Marc Hicks (Karadi Aboriginal Corporation)
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Shaun Tatipata
Shaun Tatipata (Deadly Enterprises / Indigenous Eye Health, University of Melbourne)
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Leadership in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health - Panel discussion
Nicole Turner (Chair, Indigenous Allied Health Australia), Simone Kenmore (Country Manager, Indigenous Australia: The Fred Hollows Foundation), Anne-Marie Banfield, Kris Rallah-Baker, Shaun Tatipata & Lauren Hutchinson
Closing Remarks
These presentations are shared with permission from the authors
Conference Slides & Posters
Table-top and Concurrent - Presentations
These presentations are shared with permission from the authors
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The Role of Accreditation in Improving Indigenous Eye Health Outcomes
Sian Lewis, Kelley Baldwin, Tamara McKenzie and A/Prof Mitchell Anjou (The Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand)
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Reversing SAFE - Working with Remote Communities to promote environments that prevent trachoma
Dr Melissa Stoneham and Scott McKenzie (Curtin University)
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‘Check Today, See Tomorrow’: a journey into diabetes eye health promotion
Carol Wynne (Indigenous Eye Health, University of Melbourne)
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A Community-Led Diabetic Retinopathy Prevention Initiative for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: Co-design protocol
Rosamond Gilden, Courtney Hammond, Jose Estevez, Dr Kootsy Canuto, Dr Natasha Howard, Prof Jamie Craig on behalf of the Investigator Team (South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute)
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Western NSW Eye Health Services Cultural Responsiveness Project
Jane Hager (Rural Doctors Network), Amanda Sheppard, David Aanundsen, Penelope Smith (Indigenous Australia Program, The Fred Hollows Foundation)
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Telehealth Eye Care Delivery in Remote South Australia: Protocol, Implementation and Lessons Learnt
Cathy Starr (Nganampa Health Council) and Jose Estevez (South Australia Health and Medical Research Institute)
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Optometry in ACCHOs ‚ Pathways, Partnerships and Opportunities for Education
Genevieve Napper, Gary Crerie, Shannon Davies, Jose Estevez, Christopher Law, Sarah Nicholls, Lisa Penrose, Vicki Sheehan (Optometrist)
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COVID-19 and the gap for vision
Dr Guy Gillor, A/Prof Mitchell Anjou, Regional Implementation Team (Indigenous Eye Health, University of Melbourne)
Posters
These presentations are shared with permission from the authors
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Community Driven Eyecare: Pathways & partnerships
Nilmini John, Colette Davis, Piers Carozzi, Neville Turner, Maureen O’Keefe (Australian College of Optometry)
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Evaluating the impact of regional implementation early findings from a review of the evidence
Dr Tessa Saunders, Dr Guy Gillor, Regional Implementation team (Indigenous Eye Health, University of Melbourne)
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Eye Operations: Do patients remember them?
Stephen Copeland (Lions Eye Institute)
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Optometry in ACCHOs: Pathways, partnerships & opportunities for education
Genevieve Napper, Gary Crerie, Shannon Davies, Jose Estevez, Christopher Law, Sarah Nicholls, Lisa Penrose, Vicki Sheehan (Optometrist)
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The Victorian Aboriginal Spectacles Subsidy Scheme: Strengthening & sustaining access
Piers Carozzi, Nilmini John, Colette Davis, Neville Turner, Maureen O’Keefe (Australian College of Optometry)
Conference Program & Abstracts
Awards
On Wednesday 21 April 2021 at the 2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Conference: The Gap and Beyond, a number of sector awards were presented to individuals and organisations for their contributions in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health.
The award ceremony started with the presentation of the 2020 Leaky Pipe Awards which were not presented last year as the conference was cancelled because of COVID-19 pandemic.
A live delegate vote at the conference agreed to rename the sector awards the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Awards for 2021 and onwards. The new awards capture an enhanced emphasis on Aboriginal and Strait Islander peoples’ contributions to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye care. These awards follow the Leaky Pipe Award announcement.
We would like to congratulate to the following 2020 Leaky Pipe Award winners:
NSW/ACT Advisory Group for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health are the winners of the2020 Leaky Pipe Award for Regional Collaboration: This group operates through the NSW Rural Doctors Network and has led the NSW/ACT state eye health group over the past 4 years. Particular mention is made of the work and contributions of Rose Ellis, Sharif Bagnulo and Claire O’Neill at RDN, but all stakeholders contributing to the group have supported the successes which includes engagement across all of NSW. Congratulations to all involved.
Cathy Starr is the winner of the 2020 Leaky Pipe Award for Service Delivery: Cathy is an Ophthalmic Nurse working in the APY Lands in SA and plays a significant role in supporting community eye health through her work with the local health services and also the visiting ophthalmology and optometry teams. Cathy has worked in the APY Lands for the past 5 years and as she lives in the Lands, she has been able to develop a deep and personal knowledge of many of her patients – this helps to drive and improve participation in care. Congratulations Cathy.
Maree O’Hara is the winner of the 2020 Leaky Pipe Award for Unsung Hero: Maree is currently working at Miwatj Health Aboriginal Corporation in East Arnhem in the Northern Territory but was the eye health coordinator at Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation in Tennant Creek for over 13 years. Maree has worked tirelessly and been dedicated to her eye care work in Anyinginyi and with Tim Henderson from Alice Springs Hospital and the Brien Holden Foundation and is now carrying that work on at Miwatj. Congratulations Maree.
Karadi Aboriginal Corporation are the winners of the 2020 Leaky Pipe Award for Community Engagement: The Karadi eye story is one of ‘humility, innovation, community pride and positive outcomes for people’. Eye health has overcome barriers and become a priority for not just their community in Southern Tasmania, but for all Tasmanian Aboriginal people through the work and influence of Karadi and their small but effective staff group. Karadi’s great work was presented during the conference in the ‘beyond’ session. Congratulations Karadi.
Trevor Buzzacott is the winner of the 2020 Leaky Pipe Award for Community Leadership: Trevor is an Arrernte man from Central Australia and his mother was an Adynamathanha woman. He has been a champion of eye health since the 1970s when he began working on the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program with Fred Hollows and Hugh Taylor. Trevor has been his unfailing and continuous in support of Indigenous eye health, IEH and the sector. Importantly Trevor’s leadership has made a difference for community. Congratulations Trevor.
Congratulations to the 2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Awards recipients:
Kerry Woods is the winner of the 2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Award for Contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health (Individual): Kerry works as the Aboriginal Eye Health Coordinator for Lions Outback Vision (LOV)/Lions Eye Institute (LEI) and has been instrumental in supporting both the community acceptance and engagement of the service delivery system of LOV and the LOV Vision Van that has tripped through WA since 2016. Kerry is a Palawa woman from Tasmania and has worked in Aboriginal health for over 28 years. You can read one of Kerry’s stories on the IEH Share your Story website, here. Congratulations Kerry. | ![]() |
Victorian Aboriginal Health Service (VAHS) are the winners of the 2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Award for Contribution to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health (Organisation): VAHS has led the way to support ACCO-led engagement of eye health through a regular, weekly, visiting optometry service with the Australian College of Optometry since 1997 and since 2018 VAHS has had regular, visiting ophthalmologists and support staff from the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. The clinic is modelled on a ‘Healthy Ears’ clinic established 7 years ago at VAHS. The development of this comprehensive eye care service delivery at VAHS is an outstanding example of achievement from an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisation. Congratulations VAHS. | ![]() |
Dr Kris Rallah-Baker is the winner of the 2021 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Award for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health: All in the sector, know, appreciate, and value Dr Kris Rallah-Baker. He is a proud Yuggera and Biri-Gubba man and is Australia’s first and only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ophthalmologist and is presently the chair of the Vision 2020 Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander committee. Kris is one of the founding members of the Australian Indigenous Doctors Association and a Director of the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Kris has been advocating for, working with and contributing to his community all of his life and we are very fortunate that he has chosen a path in eye health. This award acknowledges Kris’ leadership in the sector. Congratulations Kris. | ![]() |
Congratulations to all of the 2020 and 2021 award recipients.
Keynote and Speakers
We are excited to announce our Keynote speakers
Professor Marcia Langton AO is a descendant of the Iman (Yiman) people of Queensland. She is anthropologist and geographer, and since 2000 has held the Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne, and is the Associate Provost. She has published in the fields of political and legal anthropology, Indigenous agreements and engagement with the minerals industry, and Indigenous culture and art. Marcia has contributed to policy development, and been a public intellectual and advocate for Aboriginal rights. | ![]() |
Professor Alex Brown (BMed, MPH, PhD, FRACP (hon.), FCSANZ, FAAHMS) is the Aboriginal Health Equity Theme Leader at SAHMRI, and Professor of Medicine at the University of Adelaide. Alex is an internationally leading Aboriginal clinician/researcher who has worked his entire career in Aboriginal health in the provision of public health services, infectious diseases and chronic disease care, health care policy and research. He has established three highly regarded research groups over the last 15 years, and currently leads a large research group (50% of whom identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait islander Australians). Much of his work has been at the difficult interface of geographical isolation, complex cultural context, severe socioeconomic disadvantage, inequitable access to and receipt of care and profound health disparities. | ![]() |
Ricky Miller-Segura "My name is Ricky Miller-Segura. I'm a 42 old Wirangu/Kokatha man from South Australia. I have a genetic condition called Usher Syndrome, which encompasses hearing and vision loss. I'm currently semi-retired from working in the state and federal government for the past 17 years or so. I've had the opportunity to represent the state and country in blind cricket and blind tennis. I'm currently focussing on long distance running. Where I'm aspiring to (well hopefully by the time I do this talk) to complete my first marathon on April 11. Hopefully I make it!” | ![]() |