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In Australia, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is almost exclusively restricted to Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people with children being...
Globally, ARF and RHD cause more than a quarter of a million deaths and substantial disability each year.
Head, Strep A Translation; Co-Founder of REACH
Here we describe the experiences of young people living with ARF participating in a Phase-II trial of SubCutaneous Injections of BPG.
Regular intramuscular (i.m.) benzathine penicillin G (BPG) injections have been the cornerstone of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) secondary prophylaxis since the 1950s. Patient adherence to IM BPG is poor, largely due to pain, the need for regular injections every 3-4 weeks and health sector delivery challenges in resource-limited settings. There is an urgent need for new approaches for secondary prophylaxis, such as an implant which could provide sustained penicillin concentrations for more than 6 months.
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) comprises heart-valve damage caused by acute rheumatic fever (ARF). The Australian Government Rheumatic Fever Strategy funds RHD Control Programs to support detection and management of ARF and RHD. We assessed epidemiological changes during the years of RHD Control Program operation.
Chronic disease remains the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. Regular structured, comprehensive health assessments are available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as annual health checks funded through the Medicare Benefits Schedule.
End RHD CRE News & Events
Across Australia, more than 5,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are currently living with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) or its precursor, acute rheumatic fever (ARF).
For Aboriginal Community Researchers Minitja Marawili and Yunutju Gondarra, the work of the END RHD CRE is deeply personal.