Riya Mala 
[Photo: FILE]
Deaths linked to rheumatic heart disease in Fiji are rising, with the latest review showing an increase from about 60 to 71 deaths a year.
Cure Kids Fiji Country Manager Dr Jimaima Matainacake says rheumatic heart disease remains a leading cause of acquired heart disease among children in Fiji.
She says while Fiji has made progress in chronic care, more needs to be done to detect the disease early and prevent it from becoming severe.
Health teams have now expanded screening in schools, antenatal clinics and communities, with more than 13,000 people screened.
“Our clinicians, obstetricians and school nurses are now able to use handheld echo machines to conduct screening in schools and antenatal clinics. What we have found is that the diagnostic accuracy of screening is more than 20%. This number might not seem like a lot, but if we’re starting from basically zero, 20% is what we would look for for our people.”
Dr Matainacake adds that some patients can go more than a year from the time symptoms begin before receiving a diagnosis and treatment.
Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu says early detection can help children receive treatment before the disease becomes serious.
“We must continue to strengthen our workforce, carry out echocardiography, improve adherence to secondary prophylaxis for those living with RHD, and strengthen surveillance and diagnosis of Strep A and acute rheumatic fever.”
The focus now is on strengthening screening, treatment and follow-up to prevent more children from developing advanced rheumatic heart disease.
