Keratoconus is a progressive corneal ectasia, characterised by corneal thinning and protrusion, in a cone like manner, causing irregular astigmatism1. The reported prevalence of keratoconus varies between ethnicities with high rates in Middle Eastern, Indian and Māori populations2. In New Zealand, a paediatric population-based study estimated that Māori ethnicity had prevalence rates four times higher than the general population (2,250/100,000 vs 520/100,000)3. Keratoconus is a complex clinical entity where late diagnosis, poor surveillance and delayed treatment can result in preventable vision loss, disproportionately impacting patients’ quality of life and adversely affecting public health resources2. Therefore, management of keratoconus includes but is not limited to diagnosis, referral, clinic attendance, treatment, access and cost, and is important to improving eye health outcomes and inequity in New Zealand.
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