Search the site

$35 million to develop vaccine with potential to save half a million lives per year

A vaccine to prevent rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and other life-threatening conditions caused by the common Strep A bacteria is a step closer thanks to funding announced by Minister for Indigenous Health, Hon Ken Wyatt AM, MP, in Perth today.

Point-of-care Strep A tests set to save lives in remote settings

Instant diagnosis and treatment of potentially life-threatening Strep A infections is now very close to reality across Australia’s remote and regional areas thanks to molecular point-of-care testing (POCT) that slashes result times from five days to just minutes.

Call for urgent funding boost for RHD in Australia

There are calls for a significant and urgent injection of $40 million in funding to tackle Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) following Monday night’s Four Corners episode.

The stark reality of rheumatic heart disease

This editorial refers to ‘Characteristics, complications, and gaps in evidence-based interventions in rheumatic heart disease: the Global Rheumatic Heart...

"Hurts less, lasts longer"; a qualitative study on experiences of young people receiving high-dose subcutaneous injections of benzathine penicillin G to prevent rheumatic heart disease in New Zealand

Here we describe the experiences of young people living with ARF participating in a Phase-II trial of SubCutaneous Injections of BPG.

Disparity in Mortality From Rheumatic Heart Disease in Indigenous Australians

Indigenous Australians are much more likely to die from Rheumatic Heart Disease than other Australians.

Rheumatic heart disease in Indigenous children in northern Australia: Differences in prevalence and the challenges of screening

This study compared regional differences in the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease in Indigenous Australian children, and describes the logistical and...

Changes in the clinical and epidemiological features of group A streptococcal bacteraemia in Australia's northern territory

We aimed to measure the incidence and severity of invasive Group A Strep disease in the NT since 1996.

Utility of auscultatory screening for detecting rheumatic heart disease in high-risk children in Australia's Northern Territory

Sensitivity and positive predictive value of cardiac auscultation compared with echocardiography is poor, regardless of the expertise of the auscultator.

Acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease: Incidence and progression in the Northern Territory of Australia 1997 to 2010

The reduction in ARF recurrence indicates that the RHD control program has improved secondary prophylaxis; a decline in RHD incidence is expected to follow.