This is the fourth annual report on the Indigenous eye health measures. These measures were developed to provide an evidence base to monitor changes in eye health among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people over time, and their use of eye health services.

Key findings:

• The Australian Government outreach programs play an important role in eye health for Indigenous Australians. Outreach services are primarily provided in regional and remote areas where there are low numbers of registered optometrists and ophthalmologists. These services are intended to compensate for the uneven distribution of the health workforce and to improve access to health services across Australia.
• The ophthalmologist workforce is smaller than the optometrist workforce, with 946 ophthalmologists employed in Australia in 2018. Ophthalmologists were primarily located in metropolitan areas. The number and rate of optometrists were also higher in metropolitan areas.
• Between 2010–11 and 2018–19, the proportion of Indigenous Australians who had an eye health check as part of a health assessment increased from 11% to 30% (based on age-standardised rates).
• The number of services provided under the Visiting Optometrists Scheme—which provides specialist eye health services to Indigenous Australians in mainly regional and remote areas—have fluctuated, but overall services more than tripled between 2010–11.
• In 2019, the overall treatment coverage of active trachoma cases in at-risk communities was 89%—that is, 4,711 of 5,294 community members identified as requiring treatment received antibiotics. This included children with active trachoma, along with their household contacts and other community members.