National Eye Health Initiative funding

The Commonwealth Government has awarded more than $2.1 million to 13 organisations to improve eye health care under the National Eye Health Initiative.

The grants program aims to improve quality, safety and access to eye health care, particularly for disadvantaged groups and people in rural and remote communities.

The National Eye Health Initiative was announced in the 2006-07 Budget, following the release in November 2005 of the National Framework for Action to Promote Eye Health and Prevent Avoidable Blindness and Vision Loss.

The framework encourages governments, health professionals, non-government organisations, industry and the community to work together on eye care issues, with an emphasis on preventing and treating avoidable vision loss.

The National Eye Health Initiative funding of $13.8 million over fours year is in addition to the $600 million that the Commonwealth Government spends every year on eye health care in areas such as ophthalmological and optometric services, pharmaceutical products and vision-related research.

A second round of funding is being made available under the Eye Health Demonstration Grants Program for projects that trial and evaluate innovative approaches to the delivery of eye health care in Australia. Applications are due by 26 October.

For more information visit www.health.gov.au/tenders