15 November 2018
Ending skin disease for Australia’s Indigenous children
West Australian mother of two and clinical researcher, Asha Bowen is conducting a clinical trial that aims to tackle the high incidence of skin infections within Australia’s Indigenous children. Asha’s research occurs in the Kimberley, Western Australia one of the most remote and beautiful places in Australia.
Asha’s passion for research started when she discovered a staggering one in two Indigenous children (45%) suffer from skin infections. This is the highest reported burden of skin infections in the world.
Although skin infections are a readily treatable condition, they frequently go untreated due to under-recognition and lack of awareness amongst the community members. Currently, only five per cent of children in these communities suffering from skin sores are receiving proper treatment.
These skin infections are not benign, and if left untreated can lead to bone infections, heart disease and kidney infections, all of which occur among the highest rates in the world for Australia’s Aboriginal people.