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Research

A community-based program to reduce acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in northern Australia

In Australia’s north, Aboriginal peoples live with world-high rates of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and its precursor, acute rheumatic fever (ARF); driven by social and environmental determinants of health. We undertook a program of work to strengthen RHD primordial and primary prevention using a model addressing six domains: housing and environmental support, community awareness and empowerment, health literacy, health and education service integration, health navigation and health provider education.

News & Events

The Kids researchers granted $5 million to prevent RHD across Pacific

A team led by Dr Joseph Kado from the Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, based at The Kids Research Institute Australia, and The University of Western Australia (UWA) has been awarded $5 million by the Federal Government in a major push to prevent rheumatic heart disease across the Pacific.

Research

Prospective cohort study of childhood behaviour problems and adolescent sexual risk-taking: Gender matters

This study sought to determine relationships, by gender, between childhood behaviour problems and adolescent risky sexual behaviours and substance use.

Research

The future of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Australia

Globally, ARF and RHD cause more than a quarter of a million deaths and substantial disability each year.

Research

Rheumatic Fever Follow-Up Study (RhFFUS) protocol: A cohort study investigating the significance of minor

In Australia, rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is almost exclusively restricted to Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander people with children being...

Research

The second rheumatic heart disease forum report

Building on the foundation of the first RHD forum, over 150 interested participants met to discuss critical issues on the RHD landscape.

Research

Group A Streptococcal Diseases and Their Global Burden

We review GAS transmission characteristics and prevention strategies, historical and geographical trends and report on the estimated global burden disease...

Research

The potential global cost-effectiveness of prospective Strep A vaccines and associated implementation efforts

Group A Streptococcus causes a wide range of diseases from relatively mild infections including pharyngitis to more severe illnesses such as invasive diseases and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Our aim is to estimate the cost-effectiveness of a hypothetical Strep A vaccine on multiple disease manifestations at the global-level.

Research

2023 World Heart Federation guidelines for the echocardiographic diagnosis of rheumatic heart disease

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is an important and preventable cause of morbidity and mortality among children and young adults in low-income and middle-income countries, as well as among certain at-risk populations living in high-income countries. The 2012 World Heart Federation echocardiographic criteria provided a standardized approach for the identification of RHD and facilitated an improvement in early case detection.

Research

A Review of Cardiac Surgical Procedures and Their Outcomes for Paediatric Rheumatic Heart Disease in Western Australia

Surgical intervention is an important treatment modality for advanced rheumatic heart disease (RHD). This study aimed to describe patient characteristics and outcomes from cardiac surgery for RHD in patients referred to the only tertiary paediatric hospital in Western Australia.