In Australia, it’s hard to fathom that there is still a health disparity. But getting help for cataract – or many other conditions - is simply too difficult, too expensive, or too uncomfortable for some Indigenous people. 

Here are some of the facts:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have, on average, 2.3 times the disease burden of non-Indigenous people.
• The life expectancy gap is still 10 years between Indigenous & non-Indigenous Australians.
• And almost half of Aboriginal men and over a third of women die before they turn 45

Find out more Indigenous health facts here.

• When it comes to eye health, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults are three times more likely than other Australians to go blind.
• Blinding cataract is 12 times more common among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults than other Australians.
• 35% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults have never had an eye exam.
• Cataract is the leading cause of blindness for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults.
• An estimated 37% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults have diabetes and 1 in 3 has diabetic retinopathy.

Despite these facts, 94% of vision loss for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults is preventable or treatable.

Winston & Anawari travelled for 12 hours (about 800km) to get to the hospital in Alice Springs. And being so far away from treatment is one of the reasons people like Winston live for years – untreated – with cataract.

The fact is that there just aren’t enough appropriately trained staff to carry out the number of surgeries needed.

In fact, there is only one ophthalmologist in the Central Australia region - Dr Tim Henderson. He services an area larger than Spain – and the nearest ophthalmology services are in either Darwin or Adelaide.

For a variety of reasons, including remoteness, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are four times more likely to wait for more than one year for surgery than other Australians.

Dr Tim Henderson, the only opthalmologist in the Central Australia region.

Dr Tim Henderson is the only ophthalmologist in the Central Australia and Barkly region and has restored sight to thousands of people.

He services a population of more than 50,000 people who are dispersed over an area larger than Spain.

Dr Tim’s knows exactly how to connect with his patients, using words in their language to connect with them and make them feel comfortable. 

I cannot speak their languages fluently, I can speak a few words in some of the appropriate languages but even that helps. It’s about meeting somebody who’s an equal and saying, ‘I’m here because I’ve got the skills to do your operation, but I want you to be happy and comfortable while we’re doing it so you understand what’s happening.

- Dr Tim Henderson

There are other factors that determine Indigenous health outcomes– and many of these reasons are either social or cultural.

The day before his surgery, Winston underwent pre-op tests and met with Dr Tim to be measured for an intraocular lens. Dr Tim’s 17 years of experience was evident as he instantly connected with Winston, gaining his trust and explaining what would happen in surgery the following day by speaking in his language.

I liked the way Dr Tim was talking to me and treating me, saying we’ll get you fixed up. I was happy, quite happy.

- Winston

The value of someone who can build this trust can’t be underestimated because for many Aboriginal people, hospitals have been alienating places.

Many Aboriginal people have beliefs about illness that place empahasis on social and spiritual causes, and going to a western medical clinic can cause distress and shame. There’s a fear of negative outcomes and attitutes, as well as the association between hospitals and spirits of the dead. 

People also fear being singled out or being forced to act in a manner in conflict with social or spiritual obligations. Examples of this include not understanding the ‘rules’ within a particular situation, and being forced in to circumstances where male and female roles have not been adhered to.

Additionally, the custom of avoiding eye contact as a mark of respect can make for a very uncomfortable experience at an eye clinic.

The key is understanding all the main reasons for why we have this gap in eye care – and then taking culturally appropriate steps to address the issue.

One of The Fred Hollows Foundation’s main driving principles is to end avoidable blindness and improve the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Our program in Australia is working to make this happen.

94% of vision loss for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults is preventable or treatable and this shows exactly how achievable it is to end avoidable blindness in our own backyard.

Our Program supports increased investment in, and access to, culturally appropriate eye care services to remote and underserved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

See what The Foundation is doing to improve Indigenous health outcomes in Australia.

Because of our efforts, Winston and people like him can experience amazing outcomes. In fact, Winston went from being legally blind in his left eye to having nearly 20/20 vision.

If you can help somebody see again… everybody would throw money because we can actually make a difference – we can keep people independent, we can keep the elders being functional members of the community, and the value add that you get for the community is almost incalculable.

- Dr Tim Henderson.

Australia, we need your help: our aim is to improve the eye health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and to close the health inequality gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Australians and other Australians by 2030.