The ophthalmologist's wife Gabi Hollows and Fred Hollows Foundation chief executive officer Brian Doolan were among those who made the journey to Dubbo from Bourke on Friday to mark 40 years since the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program.

During his visit to the Dubbo Aboriginal Health Service, Mr Doolan said Australia was the only developed country in the world where trachoma was still a concern.

"It used to be a huge problem in areas like Bourke, Brewarrina, Wilcannia but now it's gone it's only in some communities in rural Australia," Mr Doolan said.

"This trip was to commemorate the 40 years since that trip, to celebrate the fact that we are getting closer to getting rid of trachoma, but also to bring attention to the fact that the government support is needed to finally get rid of it from Australia."

Mr Doolan said when Fred lived the program looked into the eyes of 100,000 people, 62,000 of whom were Indigenous. In some communities they found the infection in 80 per cent of the people.

However, Fred Hollows' motto was "no survey without service" and now trachoma levels are radically decreased.

"It was a combo of Aboriginal people with Fred Hollows and the eye specialists working together and really confronting both the disease, but also coming back to Sydney and Canberra and not just talking about eye health but also talking about poverty, talking about inequality in Australia, talking about racism, exposing the health conditions people are living in remote Australia," Mr Doolan said.

The main concern now was closing the gap, Mr Doolan said.

"I think the important lesson Fred Hollows and that crew taught us 40 years ago is that we need to put those resources into the hands of Aboriginal people. It's not just about consultation, it's not just about talking to people, it's about putting the power and the resources into their hands and working with them to make the difference," he said.