Landmark national survey reveals the gap in Australia’s vision and hearing health

A landmark national study lead authored by PhD student Dr Richard Kha has revealed the scale of vision and hearing impairment among Australians aged 50 and over, highlighting the need for earlier detection, better access to care and more targeted services.

The country’s largest-ever survey of eye and ear health found that more than 360,000 Australians aged 50 and over are living with vision impairment, while more than 3.5 million are living with hearing impairment, including almost 1.2 million with disabling hearing loss.

The study was conducted by researchers from the Centre for Vision Research at The Westmead Institute for Medical Research, the University of Sydney, Macquarie University Hearing Research Centre and the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW.

Published in The Lancet Global Health, the study provides nationally significant evidence on eye and ear health in Australia, including the burden of preventable or treatable sensory impairment and the factors associated with increased risk.

Dr Kha, lead author of the study and a University of Sydney PhD student and researcher with WIMR, said the findings highlight both the scale of sensory impairment in Australia and the importance of improving access to care.

“The encouraging news is that much of the vision loss we found is preventable or treatable. But where people live, and whether they can access timely eye care still has a major impact on whether they lose their sight,” Dr Kha said.

The study found that people living in remote Australia were four times more likely to experience vision impairment, while those who had received an eye examination within the previous year were significantly less likely to have vision impairment.

Indigenous Australians continue to experience a greater burden, remaining almost three times more likely to experience vision impairment than non-Indigenous Australians despite substantial national efforts to improve eye health over the past decade. The study also found that hearing loss was evident at much younger ages among Indigenous Australians, with Indigenous Australians in their 50s almost three times more likely to experience moderate hearing impairment than their non-Indigenous peers.

“Australia has made real progress in improving eye care over the past decade. However, the persistent gap for First Nations people, as well as people living in rural and remote communities, tells us that progress has not been shared equally,” Dr Kha said.

“Our findings highlight the need to improve access to high-quality eye care, particularly in First Nations and remote communities.”

Researchers identified several common risk factors affecting both vision and hearing, including diabetes, smoking and socioeconomic disadvantage. The study also found that regular eye examinations were associated with a substantially lower risk of vision loss.

Study co-author Professor Bamini Gopinath from Macquarie University Hearing said many of the findings point toward preventable or treatable causes.

“Addressing chronic conditions such as diabetes and lifestyle factors such as smoking may help to reduce an individual’s risk of developing hearing loss and thereby, prevent some of the downstream negative impacts of hearing loss in adults.” Professor Gopinath said.

The study’s senior author Associate Professor Gerald Liew, from the Centre for Vision Research at WIMR and the University of Sydney, said the study provides nationally representative evidence to help guide future eye and ear health planning.

“This study gives Australia a clearer picture of where vision and hearing health gaps remain, and where better access, earlier detection and more targeted services could make a real difference,” Associate Professor Liew said.

The national survey was led by Professor Paul Mitchell AO from WIMR’s Centre for Vision Research and the University of Sydney. As Project Lead, Professor Mitchell secured the funding, established the research team and helped drive the delivery of one of Australia’s most comprehensive studies of eye and ear health.

Dr Kha said publishing the research in The Lancet Global Health was an extraordinary privilege, but the real importance of the study lies in its potential impact.

“What matters most is not the journal itself. It is that the people and communities who gave their time can see their contribution reflected in evidence that may genuinely shape policy and improve care,” Dr Kha said.

The findings have been provided to the Department of Health, Ageing and Disability and are expected to help inform future service delivery, policy development and research priorities in eye and ear health.

For WIMR, the study reflects the strength of research that brings together emerging scientific leadership, national collaboration and clinical relevance. It also highlights the role of WIMR’s Centre for Vision Research in generating evidence that can support better prevention, diagnosis and care for communities across Australia.

To read the paper please click here.