Tackling Avoidable Blindness In The Pacific And Asia

BOB McMULLAN MP
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR FRASER


AA 26/09 28 April 2009

Tackling avoidable blindness in the Pacific and Asia

Australia is providing $20 million in 2008-09 to activities addressing avoidable blindness in the Asia-Pacific region.

"More than 314 million people around the world have impaired vision, often from avoidable causes," Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Bob McMullan, said.

"Most are poor and live in remote rural areas where there is limited access to health services and few options to travel to cities for help.

"People with disability including those with blindness and vision impairment face the double disadvantage of poverty and social and economic exclusion, and Australia is committed to making them a priority in our development program."

Australia's assistance to address avoidable blindness includes:

$9.8 million to strengthen training institutions and capacity of eye health workers in the Pacific. Along with funding from New Zealand, Australia's contribution will support human resource development in the Pacific, East Timor and Papua New Guinea.

$5.2 million over five years for preventing childhood blindness and diabetes-related blindness in Pakistan. The project, which will be managed by the Fred Hollows Foundation Australia, will assist Pakistan's public sector to deliver eye care services.

$3 million, in support of Government of Vietnam's National Plan of Blindness Prevention, to increase access to quality eye care services for poor and marginalised communities in four rural and remote areas of Vietnam.

$2.1 million to expand vision and eye care activities in the region through support to Australian not-for-profit organisations and their local partners working on avoidable blindness in Cambodia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu .

In 2008-09, the Australian Government committed $45 million over three years to address avoidable blindness as part of its strategy to make people with a disability a priority in Australia's aid program.


Media releases and speeches are available on AusAID's website www.ausaid.gov.au


More information about Australia's strategy, Development for All: Towards a disability- inclusive Australian aid program 2009-2014, is available at: www.ausaid.gov.au




Media Contacts:
Sabina Curatolo (Mr McMullan's office)
0400 318 205

AusAID Media
0417 680 590


Media releases and speeches are available on AusAID's website www.ausaid.gov.au



SOURCE: AusAID