Trachoma Health Promotion Transition (NACCHO)

Minum Barreng is currently in the process of transitioning ownership and delivery of its trachoma health promotion, including Clean Faces, Strong Eyes and related resources, to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community control.

The Australian Government Department of Health (currently Department of Health, Disability and Ageing) has supported trachoma health promotion through a series of funding arrangements with Minum Barreng (the Indigenous Eye Health Unit, based at The University of Melbourne) since 2015. From 2023, Minum Barreng has specifically proposed transition of trachoma health promotion to community control. An evaluation of much of the trachoma health promotion work was undertaken in 2024, the outcomes of which further strengthened and supported the move to community control.

Evaluation of Trachoma Health Promotion

Under the current 2025-2026 funding agreement, Minum Barreng will continue business as usual delivery of trachoma health promotion while concurrently working with National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and the Aboriginal Community Controlled Health (ACCH) sector to develop a transition plan that will support a sustainable hand over of trachoma health promotion to community control. As part of this process Minum Barreng and NACCHO are regularly meeting and a trachoma health promotion transitions workshop was held in November 2025 in Mparntwe (Alice Springs) with representatives from affiliates and targeted ACCHs.

Trachoma Health Promotion Transition Workshop Article

Minum Barreng will also be sharing an exhibition table at the December 2025 NACCHO Conference and Members Meeting to further engage with the ACCH sector and gather additional input into the trachoma health promotion transition. An online survey has been developed to allow those working across the ACCH sector, and others engaged in trachoma and hygiene health promotion, to provide additional input and seek further information on transition of trachoma health promotion, how it will progress and what support is available throughout the process.

Complete the Trachoma Transition Survey Here (Closed)

Minum Barreng provided a transition plan to the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing (DHDA) under the 2025-2026 funding agreement in February 2026. This plan was informed by the evaluation of trachoma health promotion (above), the transition workshop (above) and the trachoma transition survey (above) and included significant consultation with NACCHO. In April 2026, the World Health Organisation announced that trachoma had been eliminated as a public health problem in Australia. Minum Barreng has continued to maintain access to trachoma health promotion resources for downloading and ordering through National Mail and Marketing from 1 July 2026. A number of other trachoma health promotion activities have ceased, including community service announcements and community engagement activities. Minum Barreng and NACCHO are continuing to work together to ensure access to trachoma health promotion resources is maintained into the future by the stewardship of the resources transitioning to NACCHO. This transition is anticipated in the second half of 2026.