Rheumatic Fever Week RFW is an annual campaign commemorated from 1 - 7 August to raise awareness about Acute Rheumatic Fever ARF, Cape town Etc reports.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation South Africa HSFSA aims to raise awareness that if RF is left untreated, the condition can progress into Rheumatic Heart Disease RHD, which can be fatal. The Foundations primary mission is to reduce the burden of heart disease in South Africa, with RHD falling within the broader category of cardiac conditions. Professor Naidoo, CEO of the HSFSA states that in low- and middle-income countries LMICs RHD is still a burden. In South Africa, they are still confronting this condition, which is mostly eradicated in Western countries.
Elizabeth Gatumia, CEO and Founder of the Kenyan-Heart National Foundation, believes that its time to eradicate RHD in Kenya and in Africa and urges all of us to advocate for prompt and correct treatment of 'a strep-sore-throat'.
RHD remains a disease of poverty, disproportionately affecting LMICs and marginalised populations in high-income countries. Effective prevention and management of RHD require addressing the root causes of poverty, such as overcrowding, limited access to clean water and sanitation, and healthcare disparities. Ensuring adequate living conditions, equitable access to quality healthcare services, and implementing comprehensive prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment programmes are essential to reducing the burden of RHD in vulnerable populations.
Gerhard De Koe, Founder and CEO of the Namibia Heart Foundation, states that healthy hearts start with early treatment and awareness and as such, we need to stop throat infections in their tracks and prevent rheumatic fever.