Efforts to improve health outcomes for Aboriginal children have been accelerated thanks to almost $1 million in National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) funds awarded to skin health researchers at The Kids Research Institute Australia.
Announced this week as part of the 2025 NHRMC Partnership Projects, the Healthy Skin & Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) Prevention team at the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, based at The Kids, will receive $965,500 to conduct the Moorditj Marp (Strong Skin) – SHARE program alongside dermatology departments on-site at Perth Children’s Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital.
Led by Asha Bowen, Head of the Healthy Skin & ARF Prevention team, and Clinical Professor at The University of Western Australia’s Medical School, SHARE (Skin Health Assessment and Research Evaluation) is a new Aboriginal health practitioner-led model of care designed to improve skin health for Aboriginal children in Western Australia.
“The Moorditj Marp - SHARE program builds on years of community-led healthy skin work across remote and urban WA, strengthening Aboriginal voices in shaping care that is culturally grounded, accessible, and focused on prevention and wellbeing,” Professor Bowen said.
"Based at Perth Children’s Hospital, Aboriginal children admitted to general wards for any reason will be offered inpatient skin health assessment, dermatology treatment, and access to education resources.
Locating the project at WA’s only children’s hospital ensures families from across the State can access an Aboriginal health practitioner-led model of care, placing Aboriginal leadership and strengths at the heart of skin health for all children and ensuring skin health needs are addressed during the admission.
"Our team is incredibly proud to be working with and walking alongside Aboriginal researchers, practitioners, Elders, children and families to prevent the downstream consequences of poor skin health, such as rheumatic fever, kidney disease and sepsis.
"Importantly, this funding will strengthen and support Aboriginal leadership of skin health initiatives. Child and Adolescent Health Service Director of Aboriginal Health, Mel Robinson, and Aboriginal Elders, Uncle (Dr) Noel Nannup and Aunty Dale Tilbrook, have shaped and directed this application and are delighted to achieve this funding," Professor Bowen said.
The development of the Moorditj Marp - SHARE program was also guided by a 12-person Aboriginal Community Steering Group (ACSG) to ensure a collaborative approach with shared cultural understanding and purpose.
“This project is important to families to improve cultural safety in our hospitals, whilst also responding to the need for vital skin health checks,” Noongar woman and ACSG member, Ms Sally Smith, said.
“I am delighted to be part of this project as a member of the ACSG alongside the SHARE team.”
The Moorditj-Marp - SHARE program builds on Dr Bernadette Ricciardo’s NHMRC-funded PhD awarded by UWA in 2025 and enables the remote stream of work from the NHMRC-funded SToP Trial (See, Treat, Prevent skin sores and scabies) completed in 2024 to inform the new SHARE program.
Read the announcement by the NHMRC online here or visit The Kids Research Institute Australia website for more information on the skin health research underway at the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases.