Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples wait 40% longer than other Australians to receive sight-saving surgery. They are also three times more likely to become permanently blind from preventable or treatable causes. The Fred Hollows Foundation’s Indigenous Australia Program is working to close this gap.
The Foundation organised a surgery day that restored sight to 17 people from local Aboriginal communities in the Darwin area.
Amanda Sheppard, IAP’s Senior Program Officer, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the work involved in delivering life-changing eye care to some of the most vulnerable communities in Australia.
COVER PHOTO: Michael Amendolia