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- Do you know, parts of
Northern and Central Australia

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have the highest rates of
skin sores in the world?

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And about 50% of Aboriginal children

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are affected with the
condition at any time.

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Skin sores, also known as impetigo,

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is a highly contagious bacterial infection

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that affects over 160
million children globally.

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In Australia a staggering
16,000 Indigenous children

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are affected with the
condition at any given time.

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And about two thirds of these
children require treatment

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before their first birthday.

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But, why skin sores are deadly?

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If left untreated, the skin
sores may cause lifelong damage

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to the kidneys and heart where
people may end up on dialysis

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or with chronic heart
disease, or even may die.

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This situation is aggravated
by the troubling decline

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in the efficacy of
commonly used antibiotics

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due to the rapid increase in
antibiotic resistant bacteria.

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My research,

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which involves the development
of a novel skin therapeutic

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will fast-track the drug
discovery process for skin sores.

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Therefore, I'm requesting $7,000

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to overcome some of the
budgetary shortfalls

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to complete preclinical works using animal

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and human tissue models to
validate the clinical efficacy

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of an innovative skin therapeutic.

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This pilot research will be critical

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to attract additional government support,

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and is likely to lead to
bridging the life expectancy gap

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between Indigenous and
non-Indigenous Australians.

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Thank you.

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(gentle music)