We need to close the gap.
Young Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Australians are 55 times more likely to die of rheumatic heart disease than their non-Indigenous peers.Together, we can end rheumatic heart disease in Australia.
Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is permanent heart damage, resulting from a throat or skin infection caused by Strep A bacteria. If not managed properly, it can cause heart failure, death and disability.
Most people with RHD live in developing countries, however Australia has some of the highest rates of the disease in the world – occurring almost exclusively in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
In a country like Australia, rheumatic heart disease shouldn’t exist. Yet it does – taking lives, and causing disability to some of our most vulnerable.
From all walks of life, we’re uniting, committing to one thing: ending rheumatic heart disease. Will you help?
people die of RHD every year globally
INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS AT RISK OF DEVELOPING RHD
AVERAGE AGE OF DEATH FROM THE DISEASE IN INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS
USUAL LENGTH OF TREATMENT
5 Priorities to end rheumatic heart disease in Australia
These priorities are a starting point for the actions needed to eliminate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Australia.
Guarantee Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leadership
Set targets to end rheumatic heart disease
Fund a roadmap to end rheumatic heart disease
Commit to immediate action in at risk communities
Invest in strategic research and technology
Our Stories
Sophie’s story: when acute rheumatic fever isn’t just common, it’s expected
Dr Sophie Collins can clearly remember the sense of injustice she felt when she came across a patient with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) – a patient, who in many other ways, was just like her. It was during her first year working as a doctor, and she was based in...
Billi-Joh’s story: diagnosed with RHD aged eight
Meet Billi-Joh. She's 15 years old, and lives in a remote Aboriginal community at the top of Western Australia. Like many teenagers, her mum says that she's still finding her place in the world. What sets her apart from her peers is that she is navigating the ups and...
Funding commitment to begin the end of rheumatic heart disease
END RHD welcomes the announcement by Opposition Leader Bill Shorten that the Australian Labor Party will commit 33 million dollars to supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to tackle rheumatic heart disease if elected. This new funding provides a...