Combating diseases that impact on the health and development of Indigenous children.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are up to eight times more likely than non-Indigenous Australians to be hospitalised for Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), and twenty times as likely to die from it.
 

In the Northern Territory's remote Indigenous communities RHD affects up to 4 per cent of the population. Evidence suggests the tiny scabies mite plays a big part in the problem.

We have a major focus on immunisation and vaccine-preventable diseases and are conducting a number of intervention studies aimed at preventing infections and improving management of common diseases that affect Indigenous children.

Learn more about our Healthy Skin & Rheumatic Heart Disease projects:

• National Coordination Unit for Rheumatic Heart Disease
• Global Group A Streptococcus vaccine based on the M-Protein
• Filling in the gaps in the healthy skin program – additional laboratory, clinical and epidemiological components
• Screening for rheumatic heart disease in Indigenous children
• East Arnhem healthy Skin Project
• Alternative Treatments for Skin Sores
• Scabies and Worms
• International efforts to reduce Rheumatic Heart Disease

 Additional studies can also be found on the Ear & Oral Health Research page.