Cast your mind back to May 2020, about two months after COVID-19 was declared as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation. It was at this time that canine ehrlichiosis, a tick-borne disease which affects the nation’s most popular pets, our much-loved dogs – was first detected in Australia. This created a need to rapidly develop and share information about the disease, its impacts and the preventative measures that can be used, particularly in remote Indigenous communities.
Developing clear, factual and appropriate information and resources which recognises the diversity of cultural beliefs, world-views and lived experiences is a substantial challenge in our multicultural country. This can be achieved for global languages with a long history of translation and with readily available translation services relatively easily. For remote Indigenous communities, this is a much greater challenge, particularly during a global pandemic. This work relies on the support of our partners-the Indigenous language centres across Australia.
The canine ehrlichiosis resources developed by AMRRIC for remote Indigenous communities have recently been recognised by the Australian Government’s Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. They have recently collated information and guidance for key groups (dog owners, remote Indigenous communities, veterinarians, dog rescue and rehoming organisations, interstate travellers) into a user-friendly interface. The link for remote Indigenous communities is here: https://www.agriculture.gov.au/biosecurity-trade/pests-diseases-weeds/animal/ehrlichiosis-in-dogs/Indigenous-communities
AMRRIC is pleased to see that our resources on canine ehrlichiosis have been recognised and shared by the Australian Government. Our work on developing engaging and appropriate resources tailored for the needs and context of remote Indigenous communities is ongoing, and we sincerely thank our many donors who support us in this work! Keep an eye out for the Torres Strait Creole version of ‘Tick Sickness’-coming soon!
