title: Why optometry must work from urban and regional Aboriginal Health Services.
abstract: The gap in vision and ocular health between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and other Australians continues to be significant, yet three-quarters of the identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population live in urban and regional areas of Australia where existing eye-care services are available. In urban Australia, an improvement in the access and use of eye-health services is required to provide equitable eye-care outcomes for Australia's Indigenous peoples. Optometric services need to be available within Aboriginal Health Services in urban areas to effectively close the gap for vision.
authors.affiliation: Indigenous Eye Health Unit, Melbourne School of Population Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia. manjou@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Mitchell D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Anjou
authors.forename: Andrea I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Boudville
authors.forename: Hugh R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006303:Health Services, Indigenous; D006801:Humans; D009907:Optometry / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011634:Public Health; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples