Optometry Australia (OA) has received a substantial government grant to promote optometry and community eye health across Australia under the Good vision for life consumer campaign.
“The allocation of this grant indicates the minister’s commitment to the eye health sector and the government’s support for optometry,” said OA president Darrell Baker. “It is an endorsement of our ongoing efforts to advocate the importance of regular eye examinations to Australians.”
As part of the Australian industry and government’s push to promote 2020 as the year of good vision for life, the grant will be vital to raising awareness of eye health and optometry as the post-Covid-19 restrictions lift, he said.
The grant, in excess of A$400,000, was allocated following the release of the 2020 Vision Index Report. This revealed that 76% of all Australians consider their eyesight to be their most important sense, with three in five adding that they’re worried about the quality of their eyesight. Although most Australians understand the benefits of a regular eye examination (57%), the research also showed that one third (35%) don’t have regular checks and an alarming one in eight (12%) have never even seen an optometrist.
The grant will fund eye health messages under OA’s Good vision for life campaign using advertising, public relations and social media which will emphasise the importance of prevention and early detection as well as the role optometrists play.
