Vision 2020 Australia

Advocacy LuncheonWOC 2010 Berlin

June 5th 2010

Dr Iain DunlopProfessor Hugh Taylor

The Sector speaks with one voice

• Peak Body status

• Ophthalmology’s leadership of integrated team

• Credibilityhard data‘distinguished individuals’whole sector involvement

• Effectiveness flow of resources

Vision 2020 Australia

3 aspects of prevention of vision loss and elimination of avoidable blindness

• Australian population vision care

• Indigenous vision care

• Mobilise Australia’s contribution to regional Asia-Pacific vision care

Genesis of Vision 2020A

• Founding individuals with vision and energyHugh Taylor and Brien Holden

• Chairman – political and engaged

• Original board represented 6-8 NGOs Now added individuals & external skills

• Government engaged early

Effective advocacy development

• Data collection

Effective advocacy development

• Data collection

• Member forums – 3 to 5/year

• ‘Parliamentary Friends Group’ dinners at Parliament House

• Local advocacy / awareness projects The Vision Initiative – Australia’s first public eye health campaign“Save your Sight – Get tested”

• Policy engagement at all levels

Resources gained• Australian government’s ‘National

Framework for Action’ 2004 NEHI (National Eye Health Initiative) 2005$13.8m over 4 years25 V2020A projects in hand

• Australian Blindness InitiativeAustralian government’s regional contribution

$45m through AusAID via V2020A consortium

• V2020A recurrent funding support $600,000 / year

What could we have done better?

• Constitution changes to improve sector representation• Improve membership subscription / representation

funding model

• Didn’t eliminate vested interests and suspicions early enough

• Australian Ophthalmologists slow to embrace V2020A

• Improve integration of V202A with the normal service deliveries of the sector

• Continually improve strategic leadership and integration

Thank youVision 2020 Australia