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Glaucoma Australia is delighted to announce our new patron, the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd).
The Governor-General will serve as Patron of Glaucoma Australia, promoting the organisation, its mission to eliminate glaucoma blindness, and the patient centred services it provides.
“I am delighted to become Patron of Glaucoma Australia” said the Governor-General.
“Since being founded in 1988, Glaucoma Australia has increased community awareness of glaucoma, supported patients and their families and funded critical research. This is an important mission and their impact has been significant.
“The hard work of those involved, their supporters and the researchers they fund and collaborate with has directly helped the hundreds of thousands of Australians. I look forward to being involved and working with them as Patron.”
The World Health Organisation data suggests that glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the world. There are currently 300,000 Australians with glaucoma. However alarmingly, half of them are unaware they have the disease and are therefore losing sight without their knowledge.
Glaucoma Australia collaboratively partners with a range of health professionals including ophthalmologists, optometrists, pharmacists and orthoptists with the aim of saving sight. Glaucoma Australia works to achieve this by raising community risk awareness, detecting and treating glaucoma early and providing education and support aimed at increasing adherence to prescribed treatment regimens.
Associate Professor Simon Skalicky, President of Glaucoma Australia, says, “This is an exciting time for Glaucoma Australia. As we have moved digitally, we are connecting with more glaucoma patients and their families, as well as health professionals. Digitally integrating the support services of Glaucoma Australia through online referral pathways ensures greater support is provided to people with glaucoma at every step along the journey, in metropolitan, rural and regional Australia. Ideally we aim to integrate our service better with health care providers to enhance the likelihood that patients access our resources and community support, which in turn motivates long-term adherence to medication and monitoring for glaucoma.”
“At a time when multiple worthy causes are vying for His Excellency’s invaluable patronage, we sincerely thank the Governor-General for becoming Patron of Glaucoma Australia,” says Annie Gibbins, CEO of Glaucoma Australia.
“The sense of sight is generally considered the most valued sense of all,” says A/Prof Simon Skalicky. “His Excellency’s patronage will greatly assist Glaucoma Australia by extending our reach and capacity to eliminate glaucoma-related blindness among Australians.”
For more information
Annie Gibbins
CEO Glaucoma Australia
(02) 9411 7722
ceo@glaucoma.org.au
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