The federal budget released on Tuesday night announced an ongoing funding package targeted at Preventive Health and Chronic Disease. Funding for the package comes in at $1.7 billion over the next four years.
Delving into the detail (see page 74) of the Department of Health’s portfolio statement, it’s clear that implementing the Preventive Health and Chronic Disease Support package in part depends on operationalising the goals in the Australian National Diabetes Strategy implementation plan.
The Implementation Plan, released in 2017, includes a commitment to strengthening the evidence base for prevention, early detection, management and care, through a number of mechanisms, including expansion of the National Eye Health Survey.
The 2016 National Eye Health Survey was the first comprehensive national survey of the prevalence and causes of vison impairment and blindness. It also provided a benchmark to measure progress.
Vision 2020 Australia welcomes this commitment to strengthening Australia’s eye health and vision care evidence base and looks forward to working with the government to develop indicators and data that will measure the progress of the Australian National Diabetes Strategy, as a critical component of the Preventive Health and Chronic Disease Support package.
We also see great potential for the next survey to measure progress for other initiatives, including the government’s $34.3m commitment to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health and the continuation of trachoma elimination programs.