END RHD WA
The journey to ending rheumatic heart disease in Western AustraliaEND RHD WA is a partnership between the Aboriginal Health Council of Western Australia (AHCWA), the WA Country Health Service (WACHS), and The Kids Research Institute Australia (The Kids), created to work together to develop a coordinated statewide Action Plan to address Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) in WA under the Future Health Research and Innovation Fund’s (FHRI) Spotlight Program.
THE VISION: A 10-year action plan
Our vision is for END RHD WA to be an initial catalyst for an ambitious 10-year plan to eliminate Rheumatic Heart Disease as a public health priority in Western Australia.
The Spotlight Coordinating Team will support the establishment of strong partnerships, meaningful community consultation, and engagement with key stakeholders to design a transformative research and innovation program, with a focus on activities which can be translated into meaningful action and service delivery.
The END RHD Program: Part A
Part A of the END RHD WA program is an intensive consultation and co-design phase spanning 9 months, with the purpose of developing a comprehensive 4-year action plan focused on four critical pillars:
Community-Based Programs
Healthy Environments
Early Prevention
Care and Support
Aligned with the priority areas identified in the WA RHD Strategic Framework 2026-2036, END RHD WA will also embed Aboriginal leadership across all pillars, overseeing the entire co-design and consultation process.
Consultation
Consultation workshops are planned across WA, engaging community, the health service sector, local governments and other relevant stakeholders.
For more information about the consultation, co-design process, upcoming site visits and how to register please click here.
THE ACTION PLAN
The Action Plan developed by the end of END RHD WA Part A will detail the following:
- An overarching framework: a structured guide for innovation and translational research activities, aligned with the WA RHD Strategic Framework 2026-2036, identifying priority themes, topics and critical gaps.
- Detailed mapping of actionable projects: identification of place-based activities, including ready to go projects that can be actioned and implemented quickly and those that require further development early in Part B.
- A plan for implementation and funding: an in-depth strategy for how activities and projects