Eye health is improving among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (First Nations) peoples, according to the latest Eye health measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2024 report, published by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW).
With around one-third of First Nations people experiencing long-term eye conditions, the annual report provides an important evidence base for monitoring changes over time, the access and use of eye health services, and for identifying gaps in service delivery.
The eight annual report showed declining trachoma prevalence, “notable improvements” in eye examinations, annual health assessments and screening for diabetic retinopathy, and reduced wait times for cataract surgeries.
declining trachoma prevalence, “notable improvements” in eye examinations, annual health assessments and screening for diabetic retinopathy, and reduced wait times for cataract surgeries
Specifically, it reported an 87% decline in the prevalence of active trachoma in First Nations children aged five to nine in at-risk communities from 14% in 2007 to 1.8% in 2023. Trachoma – a highly infectious eye disease that can lead to scarring, in-turned eyelashes on the upper eyelid, and blindness if untreated – was observed in 74 First Nations children from 67 communities screened in 2023.
More First Nations people underwent surgery for cataract – the leading cause of blindness among First Nations adults – in 2022–23 than in 2015–16, with the age-adjusted rate increasing from 7,504 to 9,297 per million. Median waiting times for surgery were 141 days in 2016–17 before peaking in 2021–22 at 181 days, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022–23, the median waiting time fell to 159 days.
Screening for diabetic retinopathy increased from 30% to 43% from 2012–13 to 2022–23. The proportion of First Nations people who were tested for diabetes and had an eye examination ranged from 55% in the Australian Capital Territory to 34% in Western Australia in 2022–23.
