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Position statement of the World Heart Federation on the prevention and control of rheumatic heart disease

Nature Reviews Cardiology volume 10, pages 284–292 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

In the 21st century, rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are neglected diseases of marginalized communities. Globally, RHD remains the most-common cardiovascular disease in young people aged <25 years. Although RF and RHD have been almost eradicated in areas with established economies, migration from low-income to high-income settings might be responsible for a new burden of RHD in high-income countries. The World Heart Federation (WHF) and its Working Group on RF and RHD unites global experts, combines their experience and enthusiasm, and provides a platform for RHD control. This paper is a declaration of the WHF institutional strategic goal—a 25% reduction in premature deaths from RF and RHD among individuals aged <25 years by the year 2025. The position statement affirms WHF commitments to five key strategic targets: comprehensive register-based control programmes, global access to benzathine penicillin G, identification and development of public figures as 'RHD champions', expansion of RHD training hubs, and support for vaccine development. In this paper, we also review existing barriers to RF and RHD control and identify the actions required to change the trajectory of control for these diseases. This approach provides the foundation for governments, civil society, patient advocates, clinicians, researchers, and funding agencies to develop partnerships and unify global efforts to control RF and RHD. The WHF plans to expand this position statement to an operational plan that will be founded on science, research, and quantifiable progress indicators to impact positively on the millions of people who are affected by RHD and its long-term sequelae.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge and thank the other members of the World Heart Federation Working Group on Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease (Azza Abdul-Fadl, Ann Bolger, Dayi Hu, Samuel Kingue, Diana Lennon, Alan Maisel, Ana Mocumbi, Regina Muller, Craig Sable, Anita Saxena, and Tomas Sanabria) for their critical review of the manuscript. We also thank the Working Group, World Heart Federation personnel (Alice Grainger-Gasser, Stephen Marko, Johanna Ralston, Sidney C. Smith Jr, and Kelly Worden) and experts in the field (Rohan Greenland, Lyn Roberts, Andrew Steer, and Liesl Zuhlke) for their input into the development of the position statement at the Strategic Planning Group meeting on 16 April 2012 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We acknowledge the Medtronic Foundation for their support of the World Heart Federation Working Group on Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. World Heart Federation, 7 rue des Battoirs, Case Postale 155, Geneva 4, 1211, Switzerland

    Bo Remenyi, Rosemary Wyber & Kathryn Taubert

  2. Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, University of Western Australia, 100 Roberts Road, Subiaco, Perth, 6008, WA, Australia

    Jonathan Carapetis

  3. Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town, Main Road, Observatory, Cape Town, 7935, South Africa

    Bongani M. Mayosi

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All authors researched data for the article, contributed to the discussion of content, and reviewed/edited the manuscript before submission. The paper was written by B. Remenyi and R. Wyber. The authors represent the World Heart Federation Working Group on Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease. The manuscript was prepared on behalf of Working Group members.

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Correspondence to Kathryn Taubert.

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Remenyi, B., Carapetis, J., Wyber, R. et al. Position statement of the World Heart Federation on the prevention and control of rheumatic heart disease. Nat Rev Cardiol 10, 284–292 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrcardio.2013.34

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