Search
News & Events
Urgent action needed to stop 500 preventable deathsA new report predicts rheumatic heart disease (RHD) will lead to over 500 preventable deaths and cost the Australian health system $317 million by 2031 if no further action to tackle the disease is taken.
News & Events
Endgame for deadly heart disease will save hundreds of livesRheumatic heart disease, a deadly yet entirely preventable heart disease taking the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, is finally on the verge of elimination thanks to new research
Research
Improving primary care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with rheumatic heart disease: What can I do?Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease disproportionately affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, with devastating impacts on morbidity, mortality and community wellbeing. Research suggests that general practitioners and primary care staff perceive insurmountable barriers to improving clinical outcomes, including the need for systemic change outside their scope of practice.
Research
Housing Initiatives to Address Strep A Infections and Reduce RHD Risks in Remote Indigenous Communities in AustraliaThis research sought to provide an outline of identified household-level environmental health initiatives to reduce or interrupt Strep A transmission along each of these pathways.
Research
NEARER SCAN (LENO BESIK) evaluation of a task-sharing echocardiographic active case finding programme for rheumatic heart disease in Australia and Timor-LesteRheumatic heart disease (RHD) is underdiagnosed globally resulting in missed treatment opportunities and adverse clinical outcomes. We describe the protocol for a study which aims to co-design, implement and conduct an evaluation of a task-sharing approach to echocardiographic active case finding for early detection and management of RHD in high-risk settings in Australia and Timor-Leste.
Research
What matters for pregnant women with rheumatic heart disease - perspectives of health service providers: A qualitative studyJonathan Carapetis AM AM MBBS FRACP FAFPHM PhD FAHMS Executive Director; Co-Head, Strep A Translation; Co-Founder of REACH 08 6319 1000 contact@
Research
Estimating the true number of people with acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease from two data sources using capture-recapture methodologyIn Australia, accurate case ascertainment of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) diagnoses for disease surveillance and control purposes requires the use of multiple data sources, including RHD registers and hospitalisation records. Despite drawing on multiple data sources, the true burden of ARF/RHD is likely to be underestimated.
Research
Controlling acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in developing countries: Are we getting closer?Improved opportunities for the primary prevention of ARF now exist, because of point-of-care antigen tests for Streptococcus pyogenes, and clinical decision...
Research
Prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in young adults from New CaledoniaThe prevalence of echocardiographically diagnosed RHD in adults in New Caledonia is estimated at 5.9 per 1000
Research
Public health and economic perspectives on acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart diseaseEfforts to eliminate ARF and RHD in Australia over the past decade have so far been unsuccessful, but this can change