Expanding Global Eye Health Initiatives: Keratoconus Screening in Uzbekistan
In May 2025, Nikki Hafezi, MAS IP ETHZ, Chief Executive Officer of the ELZA Institute in Zurich, Switzerland, was featured on the national Uzbek broadcaster O’ZBEKISTON24, highlighting a collaborative pilot project aimed at the early detection of keratoconus in children and adolescents with Down syndrome. This initiative marks a significant milestone in ELZA’s global outreach, combining our Swiss medical expertise with public health strategy in a region where access to specialized ophthalmic screening remains limited.
Why Keratoconus Screening in Uzbekistan — and Why Now?
The partnership with Uzbekistan began recently, but the momentum of the project is growing. Following the success of a pilot programme, held in Tashkent in August 2024, our team extended the program to the Andijan region, where local authorities have shown strong support for these initiatives. “Modern medicine is increasingly capable of both preventing and managing vision loss,” said Hafezi during her interview. “Andijan has provided fertile ground to demonstrate how early intervention can transform lives.”
Focus on High-Risk Populations
Children with Down syndrome are disproportionately affected by keratoconus. Due to both genetic and biomechanical risk factors, the prevalence is substantially higher than in the general population. Left undiagnosed, keratoconus can progress rapidly, leading to significant visual impairment or even blindness. Non-invasive screening methods and timely intervention, such as corneal cross-linking (CXL), can halt this progression. However, regular CXL can only stop keratoconus progression – vision that has been lost up to that point is not normally recovered with standard CXL procedures.
A Model for Scalable Ophthalmic Care
By identifying keratoconus early, especially in neurodiverse pediatric populations, the ELZA Institute hopes to establish a replicable framework for targeted screening. The success of this model could enable its application in other regions with similar risk profiles and limited ophthalmic infrastructure. With its research-led approach and clinical innovation, ELZA continues to redefine standards in global eye care, ensuring that vulnerable populations receive timely, effective treatment grounded in scientific evidence.
