Reports and Findings
Research
Caring for Pregnant Women with Rheumatic Heart Disease: A Qualitative Study of Health Service Provider PerspectivesRheumatic heart disease (RHD) persists in low-middle-income countries and in high-income countries where there are health inequities. RHD in pregnancy (RHD-P) is associated with poorer maternal and perinatal outcomes. Our study examines models of care for women with RHD-P from the perspectives of health care providers.
Research
Ending rheumatic heart disease in Australia: the evidence for a new approachThe RHD Endgame Strategy: the blueprint to eliminate rheumatic heart disease in Australia by 2031 (the Endgame Strategy) is the blueprint to eliminate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Australia by 2031. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live with one of the highest per capita burdens of RHD in the world.
Research
Estimation of the force of infection and infectious period of skin sores in remote Australian communities using interval-censored dataPrevalence of impetigo (skin sores) remains high in remote Australian Aboriginal communities, Fiji, and other areas of socio-economic disadvantage. Skin sore infections, driven primarily in these settings by Group A Streptococcus (GAS) contribute substantially to the disease burden in these areas. Despite this, estimates for the force of infection, infectious period and basic reproductive ratio-all necessary for the construction of dynamic transmission models-have not been obtained.
Research
Quality of benzathine penicillin G: A multinational cross-sectional studyBenzathine penicillin G (BPG) is used as first-line treatment for most forms of syphilis and as secondary prophylaxis against rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Perceptions that poor quality of BPG is linked to reported adverse effects and therapeutic failure may impact syphilis and RHD control programs. Clinical networks and web-based advertising were used to obtain vials of BPG from a wide range of countries.
Research
Subcutaneous administration of benzathine benzylpenicillin G has favourable pharmacokinetic characteristics for the prevention of rheumatic heart disease compared with intramuscular injectionBenzathine penicillin G has been used as monthly deep intramuscular (IM) injections since the 1950s for secondary prevention of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). Injection frequency and pain are major programmatic barriers for adherence, prompting calls for development of better long-acting penicillin preparations to prevent RHD.
Research
Aural toilet (ear cleaning) for chronic suppurative otitis mediaChronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM), sometimes referred to as chronic otitis media (COM), is a chronic inflammation and often polymicrobial infection (involving more than one micro-organism) of the middle ear and mastoid cavity, characterised by ear discharge (otorrhoea) through a perforated tympanic membrane.
Research
Interventions to eliminate rheumatic heart diseaseFunded by a 5-year NHMRC Investigator grant to implement a strategy to eliminate rheumatic heart disease (RHD) as a public health problem in Australia.
Research
The American Heart Association’s Call to Action for Reducing the Global Burden of Rheumatic Heart Disease: A Policy Statement From the American Heart AssociationJoseph Rosemary Jonathan Kado Wyber Carapetis AM PhD MBChB MPH FRACGP PhD AM MBBS FRACP FAFPHM PhD FAHMS Senior Research Fellow Senior Research Fellow Executive Director; Co-Head, Strep A Translation; Co-Founder of REACH 08 6319 1000 Joseph.Kado@
Research
Contemporary Incidence and Prevalence of Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease in Australia Using Linked Data: The Case for Policy ChangeJonathan Judy Alex Jeffrey Rosemary Carapetis AM Katzenellenbogen Brown Cannon Wyber AM MBBS FRACP FAFPHM PhD FAHMS BSc (Occ Ther) BSc Hons (Epidemiol) MSc PhD BMed, MPH, PhD, FRACP (hon.), FCSANZ, FAAHMS BSc(Hons) BBus PhD MBChB MPH FRACGP PhD
Research
END RHD Community Project - Kimberley (Rheumatic Fever Strategy)Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services, Nirrumbuk Environmental Health and Services and The Kids Research Institute Australia seek to implement and evaluate a community-led project, funded by the Department of Health, to prevent and manage RHD in a selected high-risk Aboriginal community