Global experts sign Perth Declaration to end rheumatic heart disease by 2040

Australia faces funding gaps for RHD plan

An ambitious plan to stop rheumatic heart disease will be endorsed by experts in Perth today. Australia has a national strategy to end the condition by 2031, yet only a small part of required funding is committed. Cecilia Johns was diagnosed with the disease at age 29 despite showing no symptoms during regular health checks. After performing screenings for kids at her job, she volunteered to undergo a heart examination.

First Nations people suffer highest rates

Almost 12,000 people in Australia live with rheumatic heart disease or have a history of acute rheumatic fever. Four out of every five cases involve First Nations people, who succumb to the disease at a rate exceeding five times that of non-Indigenous Australians. The highest rates of acute rheumatic fever are among First Nations children aged 5 to 14. Jagat Narula told delegates that poor conditions persist inside a rich country as long as society tolerates them.

Prevention requires better community screening

Garry Jennings stated that acute rheumatic fever is easily treated with benzathine penicillin if caught early. He called for better screening and surveillance within communities to treat risk factors in earliest stages. Aunty Vicki Wade said some Indigenous communities live in Third World conditions regarding health and housing services. Overcrowded housing, poor hygiene, and a lack of clean water are factors linked to the disease.