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News & Events

Rheumatic heart disease remains a major killer in Oceania region

A new study shows that people living in the Oceania region, including Australia, have the highest risk in the world of dying from rheumatic heart disease.

News & Events

A New Avenue For Controlling Rheumatic Heart Disease?

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is the most important cause of acquired cardiovascular disease in children and young adults and the most common cause of multivalv

Research

Penicillin Program

Our program of work has the ultimate aims of improving quality, supply and acceptability of existing formulations of BPG, and of developing a novel long-acting penicillin formulation.

Research

Benzathine penicillin G for the management of RHD: Concerns about quality and access, and opportunities for intervention and improvement

Benzathine penicillin G is an important antibiotic for the treatment and prevention of group A streptococcal infections associated with rheumatic fever and...

Research

Rheumatic heart disease in The Gambia: clinical and valvular aspects at presentation and evolution under penicillin prophylaxis

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remains the leading cause of cardiac-related deaths and disability in children and young adults worldwide. In The Gambia, the RHD burden is thought to be high although no data are available and no control programme is yet implemented. We conducted a pilot study to generate baseline data on the clinical and valvular characteristics of RHD patients at first presentation, adherence to penicillin prophylaxis and the evolution of lesions over time.

Research

Rheumatic heart disease in Indigenous young peoples

Indigenous children and young peoples live with an inequitable burden of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. In this Review, we focus on the epidemiological burden and lived experience of these conditions for Indigenous young peoples in Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. We outline the direct and indirect drivers of rheumatic heart disease risk and their mitigation.

Research

Quality of benzathine penicillin G: A multinational cross-sectional study

Benzathine penicillin G (BPG) is used as first-line treatment for most forms of syphilis and as secondary prophylaxis against rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Perceptions that poor quality of BPG is linked to reported adverse effects and therapeutic failure may impact syphilis and RHD control programs. Clinical networks and web-based advertising were used to obtain vials of BPG from a wide range of countries.

Research

Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease

Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease is a concise, yet comprehensive, clinical resource highlighting must-know information on rheumatic heart disease and acute rheumatic fever from a global perspective

Research

The end rheumatic heart disease in Australia study of epidemiology (ERASE) project: Data sources, case ascertainment and cohort profile

The ERASE Project has created an unprecedented linked administrative database on acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Australia

Research

Qualitative Evaluation of a Complex Intervention to Improve Rheumatic Heart Disease Secondary Prophylaxis

A multifaceted intervention was implemented using quality improvement and chronic care model approaches to improve delivery of penicillin prophylaxis for rheumatic heart disease