Sunday 7 February to Sunday 14 February
What is National Head Lice Awareness Week (NHAW)?
National Head Lice Awareness Week (NHAW) is a new initiative aimed at educating Australian parents and the community on how best to manage and detect head lice.
What happens during NHAW?
National Head Lice Awareness Week (NHAW) will attempt to conduct the first ever Head Lice Census. During the course of the week, NHAW will call for all Australian parents to go to the NHAW website and indicate if someone in their family is affected or has been affected by head lice.
The Census will be run for the entire month of February. The compiled data will be made available to relevant health and education authorities.
The aim of Australia’s inaugural Head Lice Census will be to determine how many Australians have head lice in a given period of time (February), and provide an indication on the size of the head lice problem in Australia.
Why is the campaign for one week?
When treating head lice it is recommended to repeat the treatment seven days later to ensure any lice emerging from newly hatched eggs are killed.
The campaign encourages parents and schools to check for head lice at the start of the campaign on the 7th February and then again on 14th February.
Why is NHAW in February?
We want parents and schools to be aware of head lice at the start of the school year to try and combat its rapid spread through schools. It is estimated that two in five children will have lice at any one time in primary school.
School is a major breeding ground for head lice, because it’s a community where children play and work closely together.
Yes, the Census is open to all Australians. In fact, we are encouraging participation by giving away 100 free Full Marks treatment packs.
If you would like to take part in the inaugural Head Lice Census all you will need to do is visit www.fullmarks.com.au and complete the prompts.
How have treatments for head lice changed over the years?
Head lice solutions are now available that kill head lice quickly and easily, with no odour. Advancements in technology mean that treatment times have been shortened considerably, to the Full Marks Solution of 10 minutes.
Do all treatments contain insecticides?
No. There are treatments available which use a physical action to kill head lice, instead of insecticides.
Full Marks Solution is a new treatment that works in minutes and is clinically proven to kill head lice by using active ingredients that work together to physically dissolve the outer coat of the louse, causing lice to dehydrate, shrink and die.