The University of Melbourne: A shared vision for the future

We live in a lucky country, yet indigenous Australians continue to suffer serious eye health problem and blindness at 10 times the rate of the rest of the population. We are the only developed country to still have trachoma, a blinding, yet curable disease that disappeared   from mainstream Australia more than 100 years ago.

Thanks  to the support of generous donors, The University of Melbourne has launched a  new program to tackle eye health issues in Australia's indigenous communities.  

The  Indigenous Eye Health Program is spearheaded by Professor Hugh Taylor AC, a  world-leader in trachoma research who says the blinding eye disease can be  eradicated with concerted effort.

The  program provides an integrated and sustainable solution to improving indigenous  eye health. An eminent ophthalmologist, Professor Taylor said: "The state of  eye health in Indigenous Australia is a national shame, however with concerted  effort trachoma can be eradicated and quality in eye health achieved."

To launch  the program the university looked to the philanthropic community and business  sector for support. The result has been a unique partnership developed in  conjunction with local and federal government, the philanthropic community and  the health sector.

Instrumental  to the initial success of the program has been the Harold Mitchell Foundation  that pledged $1 million over five years to support Professor Taylor's  leadership position, the Harold Mitchell Chair in Indigenous Eye Health.

"The Harold Mitchell Foundation is committed  to redressing the balance and stamping out trachoma and avoidable vision loss  in our indigenous communities. This is a great example of the power of  partnerships between philanthropy and academia," said founder and leading Australian  media identity Harold Mitchell AO. "Together we can solve this problem and  bring hope and sight to our indigenous people," said Mr Mitchell.

The Ian  Potter Foundation has given $1 million over five years to help fund the  program's research and evaluation. This includes a national survey and analysis  of existing research relating to indigenous eye health and eye care services,  with additional research funded by the RANZCO Eye Foundation, the Cybec Foundation  and the Vision CRC.

Professor  Taylor has dedicated much of his life to improving the state of indigenous eye  health in Australia. In the 1970s he and Fred Hollows treated trachoma in  Indigenous communities. Thirty years later, infection rates in several outback  communities have barely improved.

In 2008,  he published a definitive book "Trachoma: ABlinding Scourge from the  BronzeAge to the 21st Century" and made clear his commitment to  wipe out trachoma in Australia over the next five years.

A pilot  program, The Elimination of Trachoma in the Katherine Region, will commence in  2009, to assess,treat and eradicate trachoma.

Supported  by the Christian Blind Mission and donors the Bowen and Middleton families, in  partnership with health services in the Katherine region, the pilot will serve  as a model for national initiatives to be rolled out across Australia.  Professor Taylor believes that trachoma in Australia can be eradicated within  five years and that this couldn't be done without the support of donors and  partners. "These significant and generous grants will go towards improving one  of the critical health problems for Indigenous Australians," he said.

By Eliza  Bellmaine and Rebecca Hyde