Eye health measures for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 2025: interactive data

The number of occasions of service for First Nations people, per 1,000 population, under the Rural Health Outreach Fund: Measure 4.4.2

Outreach programs are designed to address the uneven distribution of the health workforce and to improve access to eye health services across Australia. Rural Health Outreach Fund (RHOF) services are provided in Inner regional, Outer regional, Remote and Very remote areas only. (Figure 61 and Figure 62)

Latest data and time trend

In 2015–16, there were 8,652 First Nations eye health occasions of service under the RHOF. This number declined to 1,394 in 2023–24 (Figure 61).

By remoteness

In 2023–24, the number of First Nations occasions of eye health services under the RHOF was highest in Remote and very remote areas (combined) (855) and lowest in Inner and outer regional areas (combined) (539). The rate was also higher in Remote and very remote areas (combined) (5.6 per 1,000) than in Inner and outer regional areas (combined) (1.2 per 1,000) (Figure 62 – remoteness). .

By jurisdiction

In 2023–24, the number of First Nations eye health occasions of service under the RHOF was highest in Western Australia (796), followed by the Northern Territory (266). The rate was highest in Western Australia (11.9 per 1,000) followed by the Northern Territory (3.4 per 1,000) (Figure 62 – jurisdiction).

Time trend by jurisdiction

In all states, occasions of service under the RHOF fluctuated but fell overall between 2016–17 and 2023–24. The decline in occasions of service was particularly steep in the Northern Territory, from 48.9 per 1,000 in 2016–17 to 3.4 per 1,000 in 2023–24. In Victoria, occasions of service remained relatively stable, between 0.7 and 2.0 per 1,000 between 2016–17 and 2022–23. Victoria had no occasions of service in 2023–24 (Figure 62 – time trend by jurisdiction).