Eye surgeon and blindness prevention pioneer Dr James Muecke AM was named 2020 Australian of the Year at a glittering awards ceremony in Canberra on Saturday night.
Dr Muecke started his medical career in Kenya and is passionate about fighting blindness, given 80% of world blindness is avoidable. His current focus is on the leading cause of adult blindness; type 2 diabetes, which affects nearly one-in-ten Australians. Dr Muecke told Sydney Morning Herald he will use his Australian of the Year platform to advocate for tackling preventable blindness caused by diabetes, including a tax on sugary drinks.
He also co-founded Vision Myanmar, successfully developing A$1million of eye health and blindness initiatives in Myanmar. Inspired by this programme's success, Dr Muecke established Sight For All; a social impact organisation that aims to create a world where everyone can see.
