In a win that “promises to transform eye care for communities in the Pilbara region”, Lions Outback Vision has been awarded the AU$5 million prize in the Western Australian Government’s Pilbara healthcare initiative, ‘The Challenge’.
Patient Melvin receives a telehealth consultation in the Lions Outback Vision Sprinter Van.
In a win that “promises to transform eye care for communities in the Pilbara region”, Lions Outback Vision has been awarded the AU$5 million prize in the Western Australian Government’s Pilbara healthcare initiative, ‘The Challenge’.
Lions Outback Vision emerged as the standout innovator from a competitive pool of 93 applicants and 10 finalists with Australia’s first mobile retinal camera with fully integrated artificial intelligence (AI) that screens for, and immediately diagnoses eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy.
The deployment of the mobile retinal camera across the Pilbara has already begun to make a significant impact. By improving access to eye screening, residents in remote areas no longer need to travel long distances for diagnosis and treatment.
Collaborative Effort
Lions Outback Vision founder and ophthalmologist, Professor Angus Turner said the prize was “an amazing acknowledgement of all the hard work of our team and the collaborations we have on the ground in the Pilbara”.
To develop the mobile retinal camera, Lions Outback Vision collaborated with Western Australia Country Health Service (WACHS), Royal Flying Doctor Service WA, Diabetes WA, Puntukurnu Aboriginal Medical Service (PAMS), Karratha Central Healthcare, Nintirri and Panaceum.
Additionally, the Lions Outback Vision team collaborated with research partners Aravind, The University of Western Australia, UCL, Google and The University of Oxford, as well as technology partners Optomed and Topcon.
Funding came from the State Government’s Future Health Research and Innovation Fund, alongside corporate partners BHP and Rio Tinto, as well as The McCusker Charitable Foundation, Channel 7 Telethon Trust and The Fred Hollows Foundation.
By improving access to eye screening, residents in remote areas no longer need to travel long distances for diagnosis and treatment
