Forgotten rheumatic conditions at heart of May 27 program
April 17, 2008A new Rural Health Education Foundation television program airing on Tuesday 27th May, Rheumatic Heart Disease: All But Forgotten, raises the awareness of health professionals to population groups within Australia at risk of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD).
Rheumatic Heart Disease: All But Forgotten also examines best practice strategies developed jointly by the National Heart Foundation and the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand for addressing the treatment, control and eradication of ARF and RHD.
Although all but forgotten in the wider Australian community, these diseases are more than eight times more likely to affect Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples than non-Indigenous Australians.
“ARF and RHD may have dropped off the radar in urban communities, but the recent statistics from remote Australia aren’t easily forgotten,” says Rural Health Education Foundation CEO Don Perlgut. “For instance, Aboriginal people living in the Top End of the Northern Territory have recorded the highest incidence of ARF in the world.”
“This program will enable medical and health professionals to detect population groups within the community most at risk of ARF and RHD, and implement management strategies in line with available evidence,” says Mr Perlgut.
Live program featuring an expert panel
The format of Rheumatic Heart Disease: All But Forgotten is a live panel discussion led by Dr Norman Swan and featuring leading medical practitioners including Dr Malcolm McDonald, Specialist Outreach Physician at the Menzies School of Health Research in Darwin, Dr Peter Tait, GP Coordinator at the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress in Alice Springs, and Sydney-based Cardiologist Dr Warren Walsh.
Broadcast details
The hour-long program will be broadcast live across the Rural Health Education Foundation’s satellite television network on Tuesday 27th May at 8pm (AEST), with repeats at 8.00pm Perth time that same evening (two hours later) and 12.30pm on Friday 30th May.
The program is sponsored by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing.
Available on DVD, video and the web
About ARF and RHD
Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is a preventable illness caused by a reaction to a bacterial infection which often causes great pain and distress and can also acutely affect the joints, brain and skin. ARF can lead to rheumatic heart disease (RHD), which in turn causes long term damage to the heart valves requiring major surgery, and can cause life-long disability and premature death.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are nearly 20 times more likely to die from ARF and RHD than non-Indigenous Australians.
More information
For more information on the program - including presenter details, access instructions and associated educational resources - visit the program page or contact the Foundation.