Epilepsy is the most common serious neurological disorder of childhood.
Our aim is to describe the types of epilepsy, causes, associated disorders and management in Māori children and compare these to non-Māori children.
Health inequities are common for Māori children and are an important focus in developing health care strategies and policy in New Zealand. This study has a core focus on the health of tamariki Māori, specifically epilepsy health. It will provide a baseline of where we sit now with regard to prevalence, syndrome, comorbidities and management of epilepsy. There are important implications for hauora Māori in determining if Māori children with epilepsy have the same access to resources and therapies as non-Māori children. Once we understand the present situation, in conjunction with Māori we can more robustly advocate for implementation of culturally appropriate interventions, such as the Meihana model. Our study is the first step along this pathway.