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First Nations Health and Equity

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.

Deadly bug in researchers’ sight at The Kids

The Institute has become one of the world’s leading Strep A hubs, with multiple teams working in the Institute’s END RHD Program, headed by Associate Professor Asha Bowen, working to understand how Strep A works and find better ways to prevent and control the diseases it causes.

On the road to recovery

In late 2022, six-year-old Megan Hutton was living the dream of many kids her age as she celebrated being named runner-up champion athlete at her school sports carnival.

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.

Challenges and insights in self-swab surveillance for asymptomatic Streptococcus pyogenes carriage

Asymptomatic carriage of Streptococcus pyogenes (Strep A) may contribute to transmission, yet its role remains poorly understood and evidence on optimal detection methods is limited. While self-collected throat swabs are used in infectious disease surveillance, their value for identifying asymptomatic Strep A carriage in adults is uncertain. This pilot prospective cohort study, conducted at a Perth medical research institute between August and October 2024, assessed feasibility and acceptability of self-collection, with sensitivity as a secondary objective. 

Evaluating the role of asymptomatic throat carriage of Streptococcus pyogenes in impetigo transmission in remote Aboriginal communities in Northern Territory, Australia: a retrospective genomic analysis

Streptococcus pyogenes, or group A Streptococcus (GAS), infections contribute to a high burden of disease in Aboriginal Australians, causing skin infections and immune sequelae such as rheumatic heart disease. Controlling skin infections in these populations has proven difficult, with transmission dynamics being poorly understood. We aimed to identify the relative contributions of impetigo and asymptomatic throat carriage to GAS transmission.

Triple triumph for The Kids at 2025 Premier’s Science Awards

Three researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia were recognised as being among Western Australia’s brightest and most innovative scientific minds at last night’s 24th Premier's Science Awards.

New eczema storybook to promote healthy skin

A children’s book – written by community, for community – has been launched in Western Australia’s south-west to help children and families understand more about one of the most common inflammatory skin conditions in children. 

First week of school visits mark official launch of the SToP Trial

The The Kids Skin Health team has a busy six weeks ahead - visiting nine communities throughout the Kimberley region of WA as part of the first school surveillance activities for the SToP Trial.

Beating the bugs: a new resource helping to keep skin healthy

A year after launching the first National Healthy Skin Guideline to address record rates of skin infections in Australia’s Indigenous communities, The Kids Research Institute Australia has released a new resource as part of the guideline.