Harnessing the power of Indigenous art, music and voices to eliminate trachoma

Indigenous art, song and the voices of high-profile Indigenous women are part of the “Clean Faces, Strong Eyes” campaign to eliminate trachoma in remote Indigenous communities, led by the University of Melbourne.

Australia is the only developed country in the world to still have active trachoma in remote Indigenous communities. It is a leading cause of infectious blindness and is entirely preventable.

Professor Hugh Taylor, the Harold Mitchell Chair of Indigenous Eye Health, who leads the Indigenous Eye Health Unit in the Melbourne School of Population Health at the University of Melbourne, has long sought to eliminate vision loss and eradicate trachoma in Indigenous Australians. To this end The Roadmap to Close the Gap for Vision was launched earlier this year.

“The Roadmap which has recently published its progress report, has been endorsed by key health providers in the regions and the campaign Clean Faces, Strong Eyes is one of its many initiatives,” Professor Taylor says.

“Using the Roadmap, we are working with local Indigenous community and health organisations, the Northern Territory Government and optometrists to put in place steps to eradicate this debilitating condition.”

The Clean Faces, Strong Eyes campaign has been developed with the Katherine West Health Board, the Northern Territory Government, Centre for Disease Control, Imparja Television, Melbourne Football Club, Anyinginyi Health Aboriginal Corporation, and the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) radio, to reach women and families with the message to keep children’s faces clean.

“In this current campaign art, music and radio are used to inform the community that simple health practices can counter the long-term health problems associated with trachoma into adulthood,” Professor Taylor says. 

If left untreated children can take the condition into adulthood where eyelids turn inwards, scratch the eye and cause pain and blindness.

“It is amazing that simply washing faces, removing rubbish from neighbourhoods and promoting good hygiene can eradicate this condition. But of course for a lot of remote Indigenous communities the conditions of living are very poor and while the housing is gradually being improved we are using a strength-based health promotion to focus on what can be done right now.”

He says clean faces are an integral part of the World Health Organization’s strategy for the elimination of trachoma. 

“With the Clean Faces, Strong Eyes campaign, we hope to eliminate trachoma particularly in the NT within the next five years,” Professor Taylor says.

Fiona Lange, Health Promotion Officer at the Indigenous Eye Health Unit at the University of Melbourne, says the development of educational resources and social marketing messages in the campaign reflect real contemporary Aboriginal community and cultural settings.  

“Through this overall campaign we have ensured that good partnerships and effective consultation with Aboriginal reference groups have led to the development of resources that are culturally appropriate and relevant to each community context,” Ms Lange says.

“In particular, the artworks depicting Clean Faces, Strong Eyes adorning community centres in remote areas were developed with elders and Aboriginal health workers in the Ngumpin Reference Group at Katherine West Health Board.

“The murals by women and children from the Barkly region in NT are very meaningful to each community and cultural setting, and showcase their own country with its unique landscape and environment.

“Milpa the Trachoma Goanna, the face of the campaign is also hugely popular especially in communities where Warlpiri is spoken as Milpa means Eye in that language,” she says

High profile Indigenous women Evonne Goolagong, Deborah Mailman, Catherine Freeman, Marcia Langton, Shellie Morris and 2012 Deadly Awards sportswoman of the year Bo de la Cruz, have put their support behind a special women’s radio program to be aired on CAAMA radio around Australia.

The Trachoma Elimination Women’s Education Series was developed with the recording support of Melbourne’s Indigenous radio 3KND, and major supporter CAAMA radio will broadcast the women’s radio series with music and interviews over the next six months.

Ms Lange says this is the first radio program about trachoma for community members and especially women in remote communities.

 “The message Clean Faces, Strong Eyes encourages good hygiene practices and we hope the mums, grannies, aunties and elders will be motivated to ensure that children’s faces are clean, to reduce the incidence of trachoma and other diseases such as diarrhoea, respiratory and ear infections.”

The Indigenous Eye Health Program appreciates support from the Harold Mitchell Foundation, the Ian Potter Foundation, Greg Poche, Associate Professor David Middleton, Peter Anastasiou, Rob Bowen, Dr Vera Bowen, Noel Andresen, Dr Mark and Alla Medownick, CBM Australia, the Cybec Foundation, and the Aspen Foundation.  Closing the Gap for Vision and improving Indigenous eye health requires continuous support from Federal and State Government and the philanthropic community. If you would like more information about supporting this work please contact the Indigenous Eye Health Unit.

www.iehu.unimelb.edu.au