Landmark survey sets national eye health benchmark

The NEHS, said to be the first comprehensive study of the nation’s eye health, also revealed vision impairment rates were lower in Australia compared to other high-income countries.Nevertheless, the importance of regular eye tests was underlined by the fact that more than half of participants with an eye condition were unaware they had a probl prior to taking part in the survey. More than 30% of the 4,836 participants were also referred to an eye health professional.The survey, led by Vision 2020 Australia and the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), aimed to provide evidence-based research on the prevalence of blindness and vision loss for indigenous and non-indigenous Australians.Vision 2020 Australia chief executive officer Ms Carla Northam said the findings supported the belief that eye health and vision care should rain a priority in Australia. The survey findings confirm that we are making progress in reducing the prevalence of vision impairment and blindness and that our eye health and vision care syst is improving; however, there is more work to be done, she stated.Ms Northam added that the findings would assist in the shaping of eye health policy and service delivery as well as provide a benchmark towards reaching the World Health Organization’s target of a 25% reduction in avoidable blindness and vision impairment by 2019.Also commenting on the NEHS was principal investigator Dr Mohamed Dirani from the CERA, who stated, The survey findings will assist in targeting Australia’s eye health and vision care resources more effectively, and provides a start point for more effective evaluation of the impact of eye health interventions across the nation. Further findingsData was collected from approximately 30 testing sites in metropolitan, regional and rote areas of Australia between March 2015 and April 2016.Amongst other survey findings was the fact that the proportion of Australians with vision impairment was higher in outer regional and rote areas than other parts of the country.The study also found vision impairment and blindness rates among indigenous Australians were three times that of non-indigenous Australians, while almost 40% of indigenous Australians and 13% of non-indigenous citizens who needed cataract surgery had not accessed specialist treatment.Although the survey suggested vision impairment and blindness were on the decline in Australia, there were no prior studies of a similar scope to make a direct comparison.The report referenced two large studies from the early 1990s: the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project and the Blue Mountains Eye Study. It also referred to the 2008 National Indigenous Eye Health Survey, which looked at comparatively more selective populations.The NEHS was funded by the Federal Government, with contributions from the CERA, OPSM, Novartis, Zeiss, Brien Holden Vision Institute, Optometry Australia, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation and the Royal Flying Doctor Service.