Work is progressing on the development of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander advocacy plan. It focuses on identifying links between The Roadmap to Close the Gap for Vision and the key action areas identified in the National Framework for Action to Promote Eye Health and Prevent Avoidable Blindness and Vision Loss (National Framework).
The purpose of the plan is to collectively develop a sector wide advocacy approach to implementing recommendations in the Roadmap and actions in the National Framework. The draft plan will be presented at the next Committee meeting in Darwin on 7 August. Minister Snowdon is confirmed to attend part of this meeting as is Dr Andrew Laming MP, co-Chair of the Parliamentary Friends Group for Eye Health and Vision Care and Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Regional Health Services and Indigenous Health.
Screened at this meeting will be the new Digital Eye Health Stories DVD. The DVD is a collaborative effort of the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, The Fred Hollows Foundation, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Oxfam and Vision 2020 Australia. The DVD is an educative resource which contains key preventive messages.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework (HPF) monitors progress in closing the gap in Indigenous Australian health outcomes.For the first time an eye health indicator will be incorporated in the HPF and results against the measure will be included in the November report.