ANZEF supports equity- and access-focused eye health outcomes through an annual Grant Round and Scholarships program, with a focus on Global Eye Health, Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori and Pacific Eye Health and Growing the First Nations, Māori and Pacific Ophthalmology Workforce.
ANZEF’s programs are designed to extend the reach of individual ophthalmologists beyond one patient at a time and into improving the eye health and lives of whole communities.
Working with local partners, ANZEF helps to address eye health needs in developing nations across the Asia-Pacific by providing education to deliver vision care to disadvantaged communities that would otherwise be unable to access specialist care.
Local ophthalmologists and health professionals are supported through professional development, mentoring and training provided by specialists – increasing local capacity for diagnosis, treatment, and care.
ANZEF works to increase recognition and awareness of First Nations, Māori and Pacific eye health issues, improve access to eye care for these communities, build local ophthalmic capacity and better the understanding of culturally appropriate health care through education and advocacy.
ANZEF facilitates change by helping address some of the cultural, social, and financial barriers to accessing healthcare for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori and Pacific Peoples through supporting aspiring ophthalmologists from these communities in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand.
There’s currently just one First Nations ophthalmologist in Australia and a handful of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ophthalmology trainees. To achieve parity, there needs to be around 41 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ophthalmologists. In New Zealand, we are striving for 17% Māori (29 Fellows) and 9% Pacific (15 Fellows) representation in the national workforce to realise parity. One of ANZEF’s key aims is to increase the number of First Nations, Māori and Pacific medical graduates who train in ophthalmology and we’re currently building a fund to support ophthalmology scholarships for medical doctors and university pathways to specialisation for medical students from these communities.
ANZEF provides substantial scholarships to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander trainees enrolled in the RANZCO ophthalmology training program (note: training fees for Māori and Pacific trainees are subsidised by the New Zealand Government), and reimburses the training selection application fee for First Nations, Māori and Pacific applicants. Through these and other professional development scholarships, the Foundation is actively engaged with a growing pipeline of First Nations, Māori and Pacific medical students and doctors who are interested in pursuing ophthalmology.
This website may contain images and names of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples who have passed away.
