Working together to END RHD in WA

END 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 co-design 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 WA 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, in keeping with the priority areas identified in the WA RHD Strategic Framework 2026-2036.

Healthy Environments
Healthy Environments
Community-based programs

Community-Based Programs

Early prevention
Early Prevention
Care and Support
Care and Support
Care and Support

Also aligning with the RHD Endgame Strategy, END RHD WA will embed Aboriginal leadership across all pillars, overseeing the entire co-design and consultation process.

Engagement

Engagement workshops are planned across WA, consulting Aboriginal communities, those with lived experience, the health service sector, local governments and other relevant stakeholders.

For more information about the engagement and 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 will be implemented and funded.

Timeline

Spanning over 9-months END RHD WA Part A aims to complete evidence synthesis, community engagement, summaries of community findings, action community feedback, develop and endorse the Action Plan, and prepare for Part B. Potential research, innovation and place-based activities will be evaluated and prioritised according to if they are:

Immediate

Focused on how to effectively strengthen, scale and implement existing evidence-based knowledge and ‘ready to go’ projects.

Short-term innovation

(4-YEAR SCOPE)
Focused on examining new research and innovation with the potential to delivery measurable health improvements within the 4-year Spotlight implementation timeframe

Long-term impact pathways

(BEYOND THE 4-YEAR ACTION PLAN)

Focused on exploratory research targeting critical long-term issues, provided there is a clearly articulated pathway to future impact.

Below is the proposed project timeline: