Dr Asha Bowen (right) and Marianne Mullane, Project Manager for Skin Health
When health organisations in the north-west of WA requested urgent action to address the region’s high rate of skin infections, Dr Asha Bowen answered the call.
Named Woodside Early Career Scientist of the Year at the 2017 Premier’s Science Awards, Dr Bowen is dedicated to reducing the burden of infectious diseases in Aboriginal children and has a key focus on skin infections – a major cause of health problems in remote communities.
Dr Bowen, who is Head of Skin Health at the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines & Infectious Diseases, based at The Kids Research Institute Australia, teamed up with the nation’s expert skin health clinicians and researchers to address the major issues surrounding skin infections.
“Our research has shown us that 45 per cent of Aboriginal children living in remote communities have a skin infection at any one time – half of the kids in a classroom – plus hospitalisation rates for these children are a staggering 15 times greater than for non-Aboriginal children,” Dr Bowen said.
“While skin infections like skin sores and scabies can seem minor, we know they can lead to serious, life-threatening illnesses such as chronic heart and kidney disease.
“A big part of the problem is that skin infections have become so common that they are considered ‘normal’, even by health care providers, and are left untreated, allowing germs to spread and infections to become more severe. This is something we urgently need to change.
“We knew the answer needed to be something that would help tackle this national issue as a united front, and it had to be provided in a way that is user-friendly, filled with images of various skin infections and easily accessible in the communities where it is needed most.”
Led by Dr Bowen and her team at the Institute, the Australian Healthy Skin Consortium spent three years developing Australia’s first-ever National Healthy Skin Guideline to help health care providers easily diagnose, treat and prevent skin infections.
Available to view online throughout Australia, it includes a suite of learning tools such as photographs, a visual clinical handbook and an interactive questionnaire.
The Guideline was launched by Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt in early May, and is now expected to play a vital role in reducing the long-term consequences of painful skin infections.
“Making these infections easier to recognise and treat, as well as teaching the prevention message on how to stop the spread of germs and keep skin strong and healthy, will make a huge difference in improving the health of children in remote communities,” Dr Bowen said.
“The Guideline has been very well-received so far, including endorsements by close to 20 health organisations around the country, and I’m sure momentum will continue to grow as it becomes a well-used, practical tool in the day- to-day clinical setting.
“The major driver for me is seeing improved health and development outcomes for Aboriginal children, so I look forward to seeing how use of the Guideline translates into greater community awareness around skin infections and, in turn, a significant reduction in the number of cases.”
What's next?
- Dr Bowen is also the lead researcher in the first comprehensive skin control program for WA, named the StoP Trial. The program is a collaboration with health services and communities in the Kimberley, working within the school environment to halve the incidence of skin infections in Aboriginal children.
The Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines & Infectious Diseases has been supported by Wesfarmers since 2013.