Chairs:
Dr Kris Rallah-Baker, February – June 2020
Dr Dawn Casey PSM July 2019 – January 2020
The Committee met on 5 occasions over the reporting period: 3 December 2019; 23 March, 1 May, 19 May and 9 June 2020.
During this period, the Committee maintained a strong focus on implementation of Strong Eyes, Strong Communities – the five year plan for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health and vision.
The Australian, state and territory governments had previously committed in principle to implementing the plan, and in August 2019 the Committee was pleased to see the Australian Government state its commitment to ending avoidable blindness in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities by 2025 as part of Australia’s Long Term National Health Plan. We have appreciated the ongoing interest and support of the government in this area, in particular the support that Minister Greg Hunt has shown for ending avoidable blindness.
There are 24 recommendations arising from Strong Eyes, Strong Communities, so in 2019-20 the Committee established its Implementation Working Group to progress more detailed work on the implementation, co-Chaired by the Committee’s Deputy Chair Mr Shaun Tatipata from the Fred Hollows Foundation and Ms Jess Styles from NACCHO.
The Implementation Working Group engaged with the state and territory organisations that hold and distribute funds for eye outreach programs, and sector delegations engaging with state and territory governments around potential areas for their action under Strong Eyes, Strong Communities.
Over the reporting period, governments through AHMAC came together to further consider how they might give effect to the recommendations of Strong Eyes, Strong Communities, and the Committee has kept a focus on this process making offers of advice and assistance to governments as it has progressed.
Further to making a submission to the 2020 Federal Budget advocating for funding to implement Strong Eyes, Strong Communities, we were pleased to see the Australian Government commit to funding a second National Eye Health Survey, which will include specific data collection regarding the eye health and vision status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, allowing for measurement of progress over time and effective targeting of future effort.
The National Subsidised Spectacle Schemes Project continued to progress work over the period to both support short term increases in the supply of subsidised glasses to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and to progress longer term system changes.
Initial funding allocations went to jurisdictions to supply additional glasses, there was early engagement with NACCHO Affiliates around strategies to enhance community engagement with existing state and territory schemes, and work commenced on pilot projects in both WA and NT to explore innovative community led models.
This project has also raised awareness amongst jurisdictions of the issues and opportunities, and over the reporting period we were pleased to see announcements from South Australia and NSW that they would make changes to their ongoing schemes. With some 60 per cent of avoidable vision loss in these communities due to uncorrected refractive error, achieving a nationally consistent scheme that aligns to nationally agreed principles remains a priority for the Committee.
Eye outreach services are a critical component of the eye care system for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and members of the Committee were pleased to build on previous engagement with the state and territory organisations who manage those funds to discuss areas of common interest.
The Department of Health also commenced a process review of the guidelines governing service of the outreach programs in mid-2020, and several members of the Strong Eyes, Strong Communities Implementation Working Group came together to provide advice to government through Vision 2020 Australia regarding areas for potential improvement.
The Committee welcomed the Australian Government’s decision in mid-2020 to allocate $1.5 million to progress priorities in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health and vision, and the Committee participated in two facilitated workshops over May/June 2020 to help refine advice to government on priorities for these funds.
The critical importance of community leadership is recognised in Strong Eyes, Strong Communities and the combination of the work of the Strong Eyes, Strong Communities Implementation Working Group and the broader committee is reflected in a growing emphasis on ensuring that the views of community are actively sought and reflected in our approach to implementation of the plan. Vision 2020 Australia has maintained a close relationship with NACCHO over the period which has enhanced the connection to community-controlled health organisations in its work.
A new policy committee cycle commenced in early 2020, which saw some changes to membership of the committee, as well as a transitioning of the chairperson role, with Mr Shaun Tatipata assuming the role of Deputy Chair.
We thank all Committee members and their proxies, as well as members of working and project groups for their contributions to the Committee’s work over the reporting period.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee
Members
Dawn Casey, Chair in 2019 – National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
Kris Rallah-Baker, Chair in 2020 – IDEAS Van
Andreas Mueller – Centre for Eye Research Australia
Angus Turner – Lions Eye Institute/Lions Outback Vision
Anita Mills – The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
Annette Clarke – Guide Dogs NSW/ACT
Cesar Carillo – Sight for All Foundation
Chris Lee – Diabetes Australia
Chris Rektsinis – Aboriginal Health Council of South Australia
Colina Waddell – Brien Holden Vision Institute
Danielle Thorburn – Orthoptics Australia
Daniela Vanvuuren – Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia
Dee Hopkins – Macular Disease Foundation Australia
Hugh Taylor – Indigenous Eye Health Unit University of Melbourne
Jane Scheetz – Centre for Eye Research Australia
Jenni Bliss – Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
Jenny Harnett – OneSight
Jess Styles – National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
Jodie Cox – Vision Australia
Louise Carter – Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia
Lyndall De Marco – IDEAS Van
Marion Rivers – Orthoptics Australia
Noela Prasad – Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
Peter Van Wijngaarden – Centre for Eye Research
Piers Carozzi – Australian College of Optometry
Shaun Tatipata – The Fred Hollows Foundation, Deputy Chair in 2020
Skye Cappuccio – Optometry Australia
Val Staikou – Novartis Pharmaceuticals Australia
Proxies
Bethia Sullivan, Guide Dogs NSW/ACT
Christina Ly, Macular Disease Foundation Australia
Christine Stott, Lions Outback Vision
Henry Parham, The Fred Hollows Foundation
Jane Schuller, Orthoptics Australia
Jennifer Merryweather, The Fred Hollows Foundation
Maureen O’Keefe, Australian College of Optometry
Mitchell Anjou, Indigenous Eye Health Unit University of Melbourne
Nosa Omakaro, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
Rowan Porter, IDEAS Van
Sarah Davies, Optometry Australia
Sarah Nicholls, Brien Holden Foundation
Susan Forrester, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
Tracy Siggins, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
Wayne Hogan, OneSight
Strong Eyes, Strong Communities Implementation Working group
Shaun Tatipata, The Fred Hollows Foundation, Chair
Jess Styles, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, Deputy Chair
Anita Mills, The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
Guy Gillor, Indigenous Eye Health Unit University of Melbourne
Lyndall De Marco, IDEAS Van
Maureen O’Keefe, Australian College of Optometry
Mitchell Anjou, Indigenous Eye Health Unit University of Melbourne
Noela Prasad, Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation
Sarah Davies, Optometry Australia
NSSS Project Steering Group
Jess Styles, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation 2019-2020
Kate Keating, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation 2018-2019
Mitchell Anjou, Indigenous Eye Health Unit University of Melbourne
Shaun Tatipata, The Fred Hollows Foundation
Skye Cappuccio, Optometry Australia
NSSS Project Advisory Group
Anna Morse, Brien Holden Vision Institute
Brian Leyland, Optometric Vision Research Foundation
Genevieve Napper, Optometry Australia
Maureen O’Keefe, Australian College of Optometry