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Rheumatic fever is a disease that has vanished from most developed countries and is almost unknown in non-Indigenous Australians. Unfortunately acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease occur at some of the highest rates in the developed world amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in remote northern Australia. There are estimated to be around 300 people with some degree of rheumatic heart disease in the Kimberley, almost all of whom are Aboriginal people. Most of the serious rheumatic heart disease is preventable, however for a range of reasons evidence based preventive care is not always provided.
The Australian College of Physicians has funded a project that is a collaboration of WACHS-K, KAMSC and the RCS of WA to attempt to improve the management of both Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) and Rheumatic Health Disease (RHD).
This project will audit management of existing disease, examine reasons for suboptimal management and, using multiple sources, improve the regional database of people with ARF / RHD.
- Dr Karina Severin, Resident Medical Officer, Kimberley Population
- Health Unit, WACHS-K
- Dr Jaye Martin, Community Physician, WACHS-K
- Assoc Prof David Atkinson
- Dr Carmel Nelson
- Assoc Prof Graeme Maguire
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