ADVOCATING FOR AUSTRALIAN CHILDREN LIVING WITH VISION IMPAIRMENT
Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register
With
Dr Susan Silveira
Chief Investigator
Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register, NextSense &
Program Director
Master of Disability Studies (Macquarie University), NextSense
AUSTRALIAN HEALTH JOURNAL SEGMENT
Filmed in Sydney | June 2025
The Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register (ACVIR), the first of its kind in Australia, captures uniquely Australian data which is used to improve services for children with vision impairment. The data is also available to researchers who work in the area of eye disease and disorders of vision.
Currently in Australia, we don’t know how many Australian children have vision impairment.
This makes it hard to plan for the services these children need, or to argue for research into preventing conditions which cause vision impairment.
NextSense Institute, in partnership with key Australian service providers, corporate donors, government departments and health professionals, has undertaken a major research project to develop and maintain an Australia-wide record of children with vision impairment.
This project is called the Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register.
Australian Health Journal spoke with Dr Susan Silveira, Chief Investigator of the Register.
The Register collects accurate information on children who have been diagnosed by an ophthalmologist (eye doctor) with vision impairment.. This information is used to establish the number of children with vision impairment, the causes and level of vision impairment and any additional disabilities and health conditions these children have.
The Parent or guardian of a child, aged 0-18 years, who has been diagnosed by an ophthalmologist with vision impairment, are invited to join the Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register.
The Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register (ACVIR) is sponsored by NextSense with support from Guide Dogs, Vision Australia, low vision service providers and families of children with vision loss.
Source: Written by AUDIENCED sourced from NextSense website
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Recognising service in health regulation
In April 2023, Professor John Skerritt retired from his position of Deputy Secretary Health Products Regulation Group, a role he has been in since 2012. During his time at the TGA he had line responsibility for over 1200 staff involved in the regulation of therapeutic goods, regulation of gene technology and industrial chemicals and control of drug import, export and production.
At this year’s ARCS 2023 Conference, ARCS Australia CEO Dr Shanny Dyer paid tribute to Professor Skerritt and his service to the Australian health industry. She led a tribute with fellow industry heads, Elizabeth de Somer, CEO, Medicines Australia, Anne Harris, Managing Director, Pfizer Australia & New Zealand, Deon Schoombie, CEO, Consumer Healthcare Products Australia, Ian Burgess, CEO, Medical Technology Association of Australia and Arthur Brandwood, President ARCS Australia.
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Gavin Fox-Smith talks Medical Technology
Former Johnson & Johnson ANZ Managing Director, Gavin Fox-Smith on working in large & small MedTech companies
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Message from former Australian Health Minister Hon Greg Hunt
The Honourable Greg Hunt served in the Australian Government as Minster for Health and Aged Care from 2017, previously as Industry, Innovation and Science Minister and before that the Environment Minister.
Elected as the Member for Flinders in 2001, Greg announced his retirement from politics late 2021 and in 2022, ahead of the Federal Election, having completed 20 years as a public servant.
Australian Health Journal recently caught up with Greg in a relaxed interview at his home in the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria to hear how a 9 month sabbatical has allowed him to focus on family, fitness and future. This has even included some “brutal spin cycle classes!”.
