Can we close the gap by 2020? Insight News article

In 2008, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults had 6x more blindness than other Australians. The leading cause was unoperated cataract followed by uncorrected refractive error, diabetic retinopathy and trachoma. One third had never had an eye exam.

This led to the development of the Roadmap to Close the Gap for Vision, launched in 2012. The roadmap recognised the pathway of care, or the patient’s journey, was complex – like a leaky pipe. If only one or two leaks were fixed, the water would still drip from other parts of the network.

It also set out a long-term plan to provide well-coordinated regional care and local support for Indigenous people that was appropriately resourced to meet population-based needs.

Since 2012, Indigenous eyecare has significantly improved with strong support from the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health sector, eyecare stakeholders and successive governments as set out in the roadmap’s 2019 Annual Update.

Read the full article here: https://www.insightnews.com.au/can-we-close-the-gap-by-2020/