Eye health in the Pacific
Understanding eye health in Aotearoa and the Pacific IslandsOur aim is to understand the eye health needs of the people living in Aotearoa New Zealand and our neighbouring Pacific Islands. To do this, we are using several tools developed by the World Health Organization to assess whether current eye care services meet the needs of the population, and where they need to be improved. This research is the first step towards developing an action plan to improve access to eye care for people in our region of the world.
Our research
Research about eye health and eye health services in Pacific Island Countries and Territories
Key messages Delivering eye health services in the Pacific Islands is challenging due to the remote location, susceptibility to the impacts of climate change, and economic instability. To direct future eye health research, we have reviewed all available evidence...
Through the looking glass: ideas to improve access to spectacles in the Western Pacific: a closer look at Australasia
Key messages: Countries concerned with eye health should consider strategies to improve access to spectacles. In Australia and New Zealand, eye health experts identified Indigenous people as the population group to be prioritized in efforts to improve access to...
Eye care: what’s the situation in Aotearoa New Zealand?
In 2022, researchers from the Community Eye Health team (Pushkar Silwal, Renata Watene, Jacqueline Ramke) were commissioned to prepare a detailed report that summarises the state of eye care services in Aotearoa New Zealand. The report highlights that while New...
Research team
Jacqui Ramke
Associate Professor
Pushkar Silwal
Research Fellow
Renata Watene
Ngā Puhi | Tainui | PhD candidate
Lisa Hamm
Research Fellow
Collaborators
Chrissie Cowan, William Cunningham, Matire Harwood, Judith Korau, Wilson Sue, Graham Wilson, Iris Wainiqolo, Nayana Pant, Subash Bhatta, Danielle Petrie-Deely, Benjamin Zuvani, Ana Patricia Marques, Laite Tuiloma, Valeria Lopez, Osea Masilaca
Funding
This research is supported by Blind Low Vision New Zealand.