Australia's national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peak body for eye health and vision care welcomes the Government's commitment to closing the eye health gap and calls for a funded national plan and free glasses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
The First Nations Eye Health Alliance (FNEHA) welcomes the Australian Government's commitment at the Global Eye Health Summit, held this week in Antigua and Barbuda, to improving eye health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and advancing Australia's Closing the Gap agenda by 2035. Building on the international momentum generated through the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and its focus on shared global priorities, the Summit provides an important opportunity for Australia to translate international commitments into meaningful national action.
A newly published paper in Clinical and Experimental Optometry, led by FNEHA CEO Lose Fonua and colleagues, examines a decade of progress in preventing vision loss among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, providing further evidence to inform future national eye health priorities.
FNEHA is urging the Government to back the commitment with a funded pathway to implement the next National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Plan 2027 – 2036, and to invest in practical measures such as free prescription glasses for children.
In its official commitment statement, the Australian Government acknowledged that vision impairment remains three times higher among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples than non-Indigenous Australians.
FNEHA Board Chair Shaun Tatipata said the announcement provides an important opportunity to build on the progress achieved over the past decade.
"We've seen what can be achieved when our mob is at the centre of eye health efforts. Australia's elimination of trachoma as a public health problem is a significant achievement, but there's still much more to do. We welcome the Government's commitment, but it's important that our mob has a genuine voice in shaping what happens next, so we see real improvements in eye health for our people."
The elimination of trachoma reflects the collective efforts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations, health workers, governments and eye health partners. Sustaining these gains and addressing the inequities that remain will require continued collaboration and investment.
FNEHA is working with the University of Western Australia and sector stakeholders to develop the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Plan 2027-2036, drawing on this evidence, community perspectives and lessons from the past decade.
FNEHA CEO Lose Fonua said the Government's commitment must now be translated into practical action, consistent with the commitments made under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap.
"We need a funded pathway to implement the next National Eye Health Plan, alongside investment in practical initiatives such as a national program providing free prescription glasses for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. FNEHA has an important role in bringing together First Nations leadership, sector expertise and partnerships to help shape national eye health priorities. We want to work constructively with Government to ensure these commitments lead to meaningful improvements for our communities."
Further information
- Australian Government Commitment Statement — Global Eye Health Summit, Antigua and Barbuda, 2 November 2026
- National Agreement on Closing the Gap
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Plan 2027 – 2037
- Fonua, L., Niyazmand, H., Trinh, H., Bailey, I., & Alam, K. (2026). Understanding a decade of progress in preventing vision loss among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across Australia. Clinical and Experimental Optometry.
