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About Lousy Solutions - Qualifications, Expertise, Experience and Vision
Yola - Founder of Lousy Solutions
My Intrigue with all things head lice began at university where I majored in parasitology (the study of parasites), and was first captivated by head lice resilience and their ability to adapt. Much of my career has been spent in working with companies that research, manufacture and market medicines including anti-head lice products. This is where I first became aware of the social complexity that surrounds head lice infestations. It still astounds me how this small creature, that is capable of causing very little harm, can wield such an impact, often bringing families and small communities to their knees. More astonishing is its ability to gag those it touches, enforcing a "code of silence" that inhibits effective contact tracing and a united community approach. The silence allows the louse free passage, back and forth, from head to head, always evading total eradication.
My Vision is of a world where there is no stigma around head lice infestation, where there is a clear understanding of what is an effective treatment and how to implement it, and where communities work together to take a coordinated approach to eliminate head lice.
My experience: I qualified with a Bsc Hons (zoo) with a major in parasitology, but my experience has not been all academic! It is balanced with the real-world insights of a mother of a once primary-aged student, who has experienced first hand the emotional stress, frustration and trepidation that comes with having head lice in the home, and has performed her fair share of head lice and nit removal. It was during these school years that, together with some other motivated mum's, and with joint funding from the school and the P&C, we set up the school's first head lice control program. This program coordinated screening and treatment events across the school and implemented education and communication plans to empower parents and reduce the stigma associated with head lice. Parents started to talk more openly about lice, and with the acquired knowledge, became more effective in participating in co-ordinated treatment and management strategies. It worked, and the incidence of head lice was significantly reduced.
My motivation: While running the head lice control program I could see the benefits for the children and families and I also became acutely aware of the impact head lice infestations have on teachers and staff and their frustration at having limited tools to help manage head lice in their community. It became clear to me that something more could be done and so the early ideas for what would later become Lousy Solutions were formed.
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