A community-based program aimed at reducing the burden of skin disease across remote communities in Australia's Northern Territory has been successful according to a study published November 24 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases. The three-year ecological study was conducted and reported by researchers at the Darwin-based Menzies School of Health Research, the Northern Territory Department of Health and Families, the Australasian College of Dermatologists, and Murdoch Childrens Research Institute.
The World Health Organization estimates that at least 111 million children in the world suffer from skin sores (pyoderma) and that many of these children also have scabies. The scabies mite is a parasite that burrows into the skin and is believed to play an important underlying role in causing the skin sores. These skin infections are contagious and can lead to serious complications, such as blood poisoning (sepsis), kidney disease, and heart disease.
Working with five remote communities and associated out-stations in remote East Arnhemland, the program ran for three years and included annual community treatment days for scabies and house-to-house visits by trained local community workers to provide skin checks and education about healthy skin. More than 6000 skin assessments were conducted on almost 2500 children across the region during the three years.
Highlighting the effectiveness of the program, co-author and Menzies researcher Ross Andrews noted, "When this work first started, 47 children out of every 100 seen each month were found to have skin sores, and many had multiple sores. By the end of the program, the skin sore burden had reduced substantially - equivalent to saving 14 children each month from having skin sores and seven children each month from having multiple skin sores."