RHD Action

• Australia
• English
• Communities

It seems pretty far-fetched that getting a sore throat as a kid could mean you’re on the path to heart disease.

Rheumatic Heart Disease starts off like a cold, but inflammation caused by the strep bacteria can irreversibly damage the heart.

It’s described as a disease of poverty, so it might surprise you that Australia has one of the highest rates of Rheumatic Heart Disease in the world.

Backchat reporter Emily Jane Smith took a closer look, talking to Indigenous rapper Nelson Baker and Claire Boardman, Deputy Director of RHDAustralia.

• Australia
• English
• Communities

Indigenous Hip Hop Projects (IHHP) was so proud to partner with Malabam Health Service, GYS Maningrida and Menzies School of Health Research to work with Maningrida community to create this deadly Music Video 'Heart Keeps Beating'. We brought together many people from the community young and old who have RHD and listened to their powerful and emotion stories and personal experience about living with the disease. We worked with the talented young people and youth workers from Maningrida along with Traditional Songman Diddo and dancer/storyteller Hamish and Solomon.

No child should bear the scars of open heart surgery. Rheumatic Heart Disease is preventable if you get to the clinic and get medicine when you have a sore throat or skin infection you will help stop the Strep germ from hurting your heart. If you do have RHD then it is essential for your survival to get a injection of antibiotics every 28 days.

• International
• English
• Clinician - community health worker

Associate Professor Andrew Steer is a consultant paediatrician and infectious diseases physician at the Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Australia; principal research fellow at the Centre for International Child Health at the University of Melbourne; and group leader of the Group A Streptococcal Research Group at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne.

Rheumatic heart disease is a chronic non-communicable disease that begins with a common childhood infectious disease. It affects over 15 million people globally, causing more than 300,000 premature deaths per year. In this presentation Associate Professor Andrew Steer will describe innovative approaches to the public health control of this neglected disease.

The Seminar Series gives members of Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) and speakers from other universities or institutions an opportunity to present their work in progress.

It is an exciting opportunity to learn about current research and also network with leaders in the field.

A recording is available on the LSTM website at the link below.

• Australia
• English
• Communities

Better Cardiac Care aims to reduce mortality and morbidity from cardiac conditions by increasing access to services, better managing risk factors, and by improving the coordination of care. The project includes 5 priority areas for intervention and associated measures to monitor progress.

Produced by New South Wales Health

• Australia
• English
• People living with RF/RHD

Once a month for the next nine years, Paddy Cahill must receive a painful penicillin shot or the young Territorian will develop rheumatic heart disease.
 

• International
• English
• Specialist clinician - cardiology

Toronto General Hospital Department of Anesthesia, Perioperative Interactive Education (PIE) are in the process of developing 3D animated models of a heart and cardiac valves which can be viewed online as visual aids for teaching normal and abnormal cardiac function. These models will allow the user to view the valve from any perspective and animate the opening and closing of the valve. The models depicting normal structure and function will be modified to illustrate various pathological conditions.

Preliminary interactive models can be viewed below.

• Australia
• English
• Communities

The bravery and resilience of people with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) should never be underestimated. Kitty is a 12-year-old girl with RHD, but she is also known as an RHD champion.

• Australia
• English
• Communities

Today, Cherie McAdams is a ‘matters of the heart’ advocate, raising awareness at every opportunity by sharing her story. She speaks to RHDAustralia about keeping resilient when your children have issues with their heart, but in particular with regards to ARF and RHD.

• Australia
• People living with RF/RHD

Eddie Masina’s journey with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) started when he was five years old.

Eddie presented his story of living with rheumatic heart disease at the Queensland RHD Symposium and Education Workshop 2016 in February where there were 150 health workers, nurses, doctors, policy makers in attendance.

• International
• English
• Communities

In 2007, Children's HeartLink published a second report, Linked by a Common Purpose, in which a more in-depth look at congenital heart disease is offered, and in particular, the factors that make its diagnosis and treatment so difficult outside of the developed world.

Linked by a Common Purpose addresses the needs of children with heart disease in the developing world. In some of the latest thinking on pediatric heart disease and the challenges in addressing it in under-served regions of the world.

The first section of the report discusses factors in treatment and detection of congenital heart disease in the developing world. The second, is a shorter discussion on acquired heart disease in children, spotlighting two rheumatic heart disease prevention projects, one in India and one in the Pacific Island of Fiji and a Chagas disease prevention project in Ecuador.

For further information:
Children's Heartlink

• Haiti
• English
• Communities

Our first RHD stories (written in collaboration with the Haiti Cardiac Alliance) are from Haiti, a low-income island country located in the Caribbean. They follow the lives of Wesly and Valder, two young men who both struggled with poor access to diagnosis, and eventually experienced very different health outcomes.

• Rwanda
• English
• Communities

The publication of the Rwanda Cardiac Patients Network Strategic Plan (RCPNSP) 2016/2020 marks valiant commitment and a further step on the road towards strengthen of wellbeing of cardiac/Heart patients and Post-operative patients in Rwanda.

This Strategic Plan has been developed by Rwanda Cardiac Patients Network to provide the framework for viewing its remit and challenges, and to come up with ways and means of how Rwanda Cardiac Patients Network is to deliver its strategic priorities.

We wish to express our gratitude to all RCPN committee members, Mr. NSENGIMANA Francois and his Wife Lucie and patients in various areas of Rwanda and to all the many other stakeholders who have contributed to the preparation of this Strategic plan. We commend the (RCPNSP) as the way ahead for realization of Rwanda Cardiac Patients Network and urge all stakeholders and partners to use this plan as a first point of reference when considering how we may all support activities in this very significant Endeavour and achieve our mission of transformation of well being cardiac patients, and to prevent heart diseases at a real stage and meet patients needs and community needs in accordance UN agenda 2030.

We believe that if we implement this strategic plan in accordance, no more death of pregnant women, teenagers, young people and young Adult with mechanical valves, and we will have a generation free from rheumatic heart diseases . we cannot walk alone in order to achieve RCPN goals 2016/2020 and as we walk together with our partners , we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead of this strategic plan. Let join hands together and together we can have a generation free from rheumatic heart disease.

• Australia
• English
• People living with RF/RHD

Patient perspective: Nelson Baker on rheumatic heart disease. From a throat infection to a heart condition. At 16 Nelson Baker was faced with the fact that despite living a relatively healthy lifestyle he had a heart condition. It first presented as a throat infection— just a simple cold he assumed, nothing uncommon about that. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just a cold. The throat infection was a strep germ that had caused inflammation to parts of his body. Whilst most of the body recovers from inflammation (joint inflammation for example) the heart does not.

• South Africa
• English
• Specialist clinician - cardiology

A 24yr old female with a diastolic murmer suggestive of mitral stenosis had this ECG. See below to find out what abnormalities were identified.

This case study is provided by SA Heart.
 

• Australia
• English
• Communities

Indigenous Hip Hop Projects was proud to partner with Katherine West Health Board and the Lajamanu Community NT to create this follow up deadly Music Video/ Health Resource. The key message was focused on the serious heart disease Rheumatic Fever. Every person in community has the power to make the right choice and lead a happy healthy life. Community members who have this illness need to get a jab every 28 days to keep them healthy. Respect to Lajamanu Community. Indigenous Hip Hop Projects also worked with North Tanami Band assisting in the creative process and recording the song.