Lay summary
1 in 20 New Zealanders have diabetes, and Māori and Pacific people are more likely than other New Zealanders to experience diabetes and its complications. Everyone with diabetes is at risk of developing diabetic retinopathy which is when blood vessels at the back of the eye leak or multiply rapidly. Diabetes eye care services aim to provide timely detection of these changes and provide treatment, so people do not lose their vision. Diabetes eye care services in New Zealand are inequitable, with Māori and Pacific people and young adults being systematically underserved. This project is a partnership between diabetes eye care service providers, planners, researchers and Māori health and wellbeing advocates. We will work collaboratively with people with diabetes and their whānau to understand where, how and why people with diabetes become disconnected from diabetes eye care services and identify strategies to improve equitable access and ultimately avoid vision loss.