Vision impairment and blindness affect approximately 575,000 Australians — and two-thirds of all vision loss is preventable or treatable with timely intervention. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians experience rates of blindness three times higher than non-Indigenous Australians, with trachoma — a disease eliminated in most developed countries — still affecting remote communities. Grant funding supports eye health research, community screening, treatment access in remote areas, and services that support people living with vision impairment.
Scale
Leading causes of vision loss
Indigenous eye health inequality
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians experience:
- Rates of blindness 3x non-Indigenous Australians
- Trachoma: still endemic in some remote communities (eliminated in most developed nations)
- Diabetic retinopathy: much higher rates due to diabetes epidemic
- Cataract: treatable but access to surgery is limited
- Limited access to optometry in remote areas
National Eye Health Framework
Australian Government commitment to improving eye health and reducing vision loss.
Trachoma elimination
Government-funded trachoma surveillance and treatment in remote Indigenous communities.
NDIS
Vision-related disability supports through NDIS.
Medicare
Ophthalmology and optometry services.
Guide Dogs Australia
Blindness rehabilitation and guide dog services.
Vision Australia
Services for people with vision impairment:
- Daily living skills
- Employment support
- Assistive technology
- Library for the blind
Fred Hollows Foundation
Preventing avoidable blindness — major Australian global health organisation.
Macular Disease Foundation Australia
Macular degeneration research and support.
Glaucoma Australia
Glaucoma awareness and research.
Indigenous Eye Health (University of Melbourne)
Research and advocacy on Indigenous eye health equity.
The Brien Holden Vision Institute
Vision research and training.
Prevention and screening
Indigenous eye health
Research
Rehabilitation and support
Employment and participation
Children and youth
Low vision services
Aged care
Trachoma is a bacterial eye infection spread by flies and poor sanitation. It causes scarring of the eyelids and, over years, irreversible blindness. It's eliminated in most high-income countries — but in 2024, trachoma still affects some remote Australian communities.
The SAFE strategy (Surgery for trichiasis, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, Environmental improvement) is effective but requires sustained commitment:
- Community health workers for surveillance
- Antibiotic distribution
- WASH (water, sanitation, hygiene) infrastructure
- Regular monitoring
Grant funding for trachoma elimination is a direct investment in Indigenous equity.
Prevention focus
Most vision loss is preventable — screening and early treatment save sight. Applications focused on prevention and early detection have high impact-to-cost ratios.
Indigenous equity
Indigenous Australians bear a disproportionate burden of vision loss. Applications addressing Indigenous eye health equity — through outreach optometry, trachoma elimination, or diabetic eye disease — address one of Australia's clearest health inequities.
Outreach model
Rural and remote communities lack access to optometry and ophthalmology. Applications supporting outreach services — visiting optometrists, teleophthalmology — extend reach.
Diabetic connection
Diabetic retinopathy rates are rising with the diabetes epidemic. Applications that link diabetes management with eye health demonstrate integrated understanding.
Tahua's grants management platform supports eye health funders and vision organisations — with patient outcome tracking, screening programme data, community reach measurement, and the reporting tools that help eye health funders demonstrate their investment in preventing avoidable blindness across Australia.