28 February 2019. A University of Canberra-led team has received a major funding boost for its work in effectively treating a skin condition with potentially fatal consequences in rural Aboriginal communities.
Led by Assistant Professor (Pharmacy) Dr Jackson Thomas, the project team received a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Rare Cancers, Rare Diseases and Unmet Need Grant Opportunity of $1.3 million for further trials.
“This project is a classic example of a perfect connection point between Aboriginal bush medicine and Western medical perspectives,” said University of Canberra Chancellor Professor Tom Calma.
Professor Calma is a chief investigator for the project, and one of four Aboriginal researchers in the study team.
“Scabies is a debilitating skin condition caused by parasites, which can lead to blood poisoning. This can subsequently result in kidney disease and rheumatic heart disease,” said Dr Thomas.
“Rural Indigenous Australian communities are very vulnerable to scabies, with about seven in 10 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children affected.”
Globally, about 300 million people are affected with the disease at any given time.
The new treatment is based on tea tree oil. It kills the parasite and its eggs, and addresses issues which have plagued previous treatment efforts.
“Conventional treatment methods include a thick cream which must be left on for up to 15 hours, then showered off thoroughly. This can be challenging in remote settings, which have limited access to water,” Dr Thomas said. “It can also be uncomfortable to use in tropical regions.”
The other conventional treatment is an oral medication, usually not prescribed to children below five because of the risks it carries – but children from this age group are the ones most usually affected by the disease.
In 2016 and 2017, the University’s Office of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Leadership and Strategy (OATSILS) and the Collaborative Indigenous Research Initiative (UC CIRI) provided an initial grant to Dr Thomas to pilot a randomised control trial of Australian tea tree oil for the management of scabies in Indigenous Australian children.
Tea tree oil is a traditional ingredient in bush medicine. The treatment thus aligns with Indigenous healing culture, and is more likely to be accepted by remote Aboriginal communities.
“It is a clear gel, pleasant to use, and it doesn’t leave any residue on the skin,” said Dr Thomas.
Proper usage of any scabies treatment is crucial, so that the parasite does not develop resistance.
“Unlike conventional treatments, our treatment has combined ovicidal, parasiticidal, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and anti-pruritic and healing properties – a world first.”
The grant will allow Dr Thomas and his team to recruit 210 patients, in collaboration with their community partner, the Wurli-Wurlinjang Aboriginal Community Health Service in Katherine, the Northern Territory.
The three-year project will map the treatment’s effectiveness, then provide a platform for its roll-out.
Assistant Professor Jackson Thomas is available for interview on 1 March 2019.
Contact the University of Canberra media team:
Suzanne Lazaroo
0409 140 415
Suzanne.Lazaroo@canberra.edu.au
Andy Visser
0414 260 417