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Aboriginal health is everyone's business. The needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and kids is integrated into all relevant areas of our work. Improving the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids and families is an overarching priority for every team at The Kids.

SToP-ping skin sores in the Kimberley

More than 3,000 skin checks have been undertaken as part of a large clinical trial in WA’s Kimberley region aimed at halving the burden of skin sores in school-aged Aboriginal children.

Translating the Eczema Bathing Study: why context and infection burden matter

Asha Jacinta Bernadette Bowen Walton Ricciardo BA MBBS DCH FRACP PhD GAICD FAHMS OAM MBBS (hon) DCH FACD Head, Healthy Skin and ARF Prevention

Infectious disease outcomes associated with inadequate housing and access to healthy living practices in Australia: a systematic review

Inadequate housing and living conditions underpin significant health and wellbeing inequality in Australia, particularly for Indigenous people. This review aimed to define infectious disease (ID) outcomes used to measure the health impact of inadequate housing in Australia within a research context.

New eczema storybook to promote healthy skin

In close partnership with Aboriginal Elders and community members in Western Australia's south-west, we created ‘Kaal Tackles Eczema’, a children’s book to help Aboriginal families manage eczema. Our research showed a high prevalence and need for culturally relevant resources. The book uses Noongar language and art to educate and reduce infections, and is available online and in schools.

Healthy skin for children and young people with skin of colour starts with clinician knowledge and recognition

Skin conditions most frequently encountered in paediatric practice include infections, infestations, atopic dermatitis, and acne. Skin of colour refers to skin with increased melanin and darker pigmentation, and reflects global racial and ethnic diversity.

Clinical decision rules for diagnosis of Streptococcus pyogenes sore throat in Fiji: a prospective diagnostic accuracy study

Acute rheumatic fever is an immune-mediated condition triggered by Streptococcus pyogenes sore throat and possibly skin infection, with a substantial burden in resource-limited settings. Clinical decision rules (CDRs) are commonly used to guide antibiotic treatment of sore throat based on signs and symptoms, but their diagnostic accuracy varies by study and setting. This work aimed to assess the accuracy of multiple CDRs in Fiji to diagnose S. pyogenes sore throat.

“You can't heal yourself in that setting and you wouldn't expect other people in this country to”: Yarning about housing and environmental health in remote Aboriginal communities

Remote Aboriginal communities in Australia are located on traditional lands holding deep cultural significance and meaning for residents. However, systemic inequity rooted in colonisation has driven persistent housing and health disparities, with inadequate environmental health conditions within homes and communities a prominent example.

Longitudinal surveillance of group A streptococcal pharyngitis and impetigo in remote Western Australian school children informs acute rheumatic fever prevention

The prevalence of impetigo and pharyngitis - which are both superficial group A streptococcus (GAS) infections that precede acute rheumatic fever - is poorly defined. Guidelines recommend the early diagnosis of both infections to prevent ARF; however, screening to enable the concurrent detection of these infections in high-risk populations has rarely been performed.

Yarning with a remote Aboriginal community about the next steps for achieving healthy skin

Skin health is widely recognised as being important for overall good health and well-being, yet the burden of skin infections in remote Aboriginal communities remains high. This project aimed to explore if virtual support for skin health could be a strategy to reduce community barriers to skin health engagement.