1. How common is vision loss and blindness among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have lower health outcomes than non-Indigenous Australians, with one of the most common health problems being vision impairment and blindness.

Without healthy eyesight, everyday activities such as driving, socialising, studying and working become very challenging. Not only can this be this isolating, it can also have a negative socio-economic impact.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults experience bilateral vision impairment and blindness 3 times more than non-Indigenous adults.

More than 18,000 Indigenous Australian adults over the age of 40 are living with vision impairment or blindness, according to the National Eye Health Survey 2016 report.

Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who have answered questions about their eye health in national surveys, 33% have reported eye and vision problems. 

And while Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children – especially those living in remote areas – often have better vision than non-Indigenous children, as they get older they encounter more eye health problems.

2. What are the common vision problems faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples?

The leading cause of blindness and vision impairment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults includes the following four eye diseases:
 

1. Uncorrected refractive errors

It is estimated that 63% (that’s almost two-thirds) of bilateral vision impairment among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults is due to uncorrected refractive errors, making it the main cause of bilateral vision impairment.

The average age of Indigenous Australians who have uncorrected refractive error is almost 10 years younger than other Australians with the same condition.

Refractive error is when an eye is shaped abnormally, preventing light from bending correctly (refraction). Uncorrected refractive error is when we don't do anything about it.

The most common types of refractive errors are short-sightedness and long-sightedness, both of which can be corrected by wearing glasses, contact lenses or through surgery.
 

2. Cataract

Cataract is the second leading cause of bilateral vision impairment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults, accounting for 20% of cases. 

Just like uncorrected refractive error, the average age of Indigenous Australians who have cataract is almost 10 years younger than non-Indigenous Australians with the same condition.

Cataract is the clouding of the lens of the eye, and if left untreated it can cause a person to go permanently blind. While cataract most commonly affects people once they’ve started to age, it can occur at any age, including childhood. And some babies are born with it. 

The good news is cataract-affected lens can be replaced with an intraocular lens (IOL) during a simple procedure and the patient will recover within 48 hours.
 

3. Diabetic retinopathy

It is estimated that 5% of bilateral vision impairment among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults is caused by diabetic retinopathy (DR). And those who have DR are at least 15 years younger than other Australians who have the same condition.

Diabetic retinopathy is the main cause of vision loss for people living with diabetes. It is a complication that results from damage to blood vessels at the back of the eye which. And if left untreated, it can lead to blindness. 

The longer people live with diabetes the more likely they are to develop DR, which is why it is important to get regular eye checks done, either yearly or bi-yearly, based on individual advice from a trained medical eye health expert.
 

4. Trachoma

Trachoma is an infection that results in scarring of the eye. Trachoma can cause trichiasis – the painful inward growth of eyelashes that leads to blindness. 

Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness in the world. Blinding trachoma is estimated to be endemic in 39 countries, including some remote parts of Australia. 

Australia is the only developed country in the world to have trachoma, with it occurring almost exclusively amongst Aboriginal children living in remote communities, with 4% of those between the ages of five and nine being affected.

While trachoma is less common now than it was in the past, high levels are still found in some regions, in particular in remote communities in South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. 
 

Learn more about how trachoma impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations.

3. What can be done to improve eye health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples?

While it is worrying to see that there is a definite eye health gap faced by Indigenous Australians, the silver lining is that these diseases are preventable, treatable or manageable. 

At The Fred Hollows Foundation, we are working closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, health professionals, and organisations like the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet to ensure that Indigenous Australians are given every opportunity to exercise their right to sight.
 

The Foundation believes that in order to provide effective care it is crucial to work in partnership with local communities and have them lead the design and delivery of culturally-appropriate eye health care.

Through our 2020-2024 Indigenous Australia Strategy, The Fred Hollows Foundation will be making its biggest ever investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health, contributing to the Strong Eyes, Strong Communities plan.
 

Learn about our 2020-2024 Indigenous Australia Strategy in full

4. What is Australian Indigenous HealthInfonet?

Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet provides support to individuals and organisations working in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector. They are a Level II Research Centre within Edith Cowan University (ECU), which is Western Australia’s oldest tertiary education institution. 

They work in partnership with the Australian Department of Health as well as other organisations, including The Fred Hollows Foundation. 

Their mission is to contribute to improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, and assist in ‘closing the gap’. They do this by making research, in-depth information, and other important knowledge easily available to health practitioners, policy-makers, and anyone wanting to learn more about health issues faced by Indigenous Australians.

They offer comprehensive information on a broad spectrum of topics in relation to Indigenous Australian eye health, and offer insightful resources on:

1. Health facts
2. Health topics 
3. Health systems
4. Determinants of health
5. Population groups

Learn more about Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet and what they do.

5. How can you get involved in closing the eye health gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples?

Here is a list of things you can learn about and do to play your part in helping close the gap.

• Sign the Close the Gap petition
• Find out the five ways you can help Close the Gap
• Read about Australia’s first Indigenous ophthalmologist, Dr Kris Rallah-Baker, and our plans to train more Aboriginal eye health workers
• Donate now and help train more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health workers

DISCLAIMER: 

The content on this page is not intended to be medical advice. For medical advice, please contact your local health professional. All statistics quoted use the most recent information available, to the best of our knowledge.