New Zealand challenged to eradicate Rheumatic Fever

Press Release
22 September 2011

New Zealand “on trial” and challenged to eradicate Rheumatic Fever

New Zealand has failed to curb rates of rheumatic fever – a life threatening ‘Third World disease’ now found almost exclusively in Maori and Pacific peoples.

High rates of acute rheumatic fever and related hospital admissions have persisted in the past decade, despite considerable interest and the efforts of many to champion its eradication.

Professor Norman Sharpe, Medical Director of the Heart Foundation, acknowledges this perennial lack of progress in an editorial in the September 23rd edition of the NZ Medical Journal.

The editorial comes as the Heart Foundation prepares to be a strong voice on public health in the lead up to the general election on November 26th. In a pre-election health manifesto to be released next week, the Heart Foundation will call for enhanced investment in early childhood, better protection of New Zealand children and ensuring health services are equitable.

The eradication of rheumatic fever in New Zealand is also on the manifesto. However, Professor Sharpe is guardedly optimistic that we are now at last on a pathway towards achieving this and bringing ‘this shameful and intolerable situation to an end.’
In the NZMJ editorial, he pinpoints the existence of rheumatic fever in population clusters associated with social deprivation, child poverty and overcrowding.

“Broadly, rheumatic fever, which is strongly associated with other close contact infectious diseases, should be regarded as a key indicator of child health and how we value our children,” Professor Sharpe writes in his editorial. “Its persistence in New Zealand represents one aspect of our failure to achieve a fair society and health equity for Maori and Pacific peoples.”

In support, Professor Sharpe refers to a retrospective review between 2007 and 2009 of children with acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease admitted to Starship Hospital. Of 36 children admissed, all but one was of Maori or Pacific Island ethnicity. The average hospital stay was 23 days and total hospital costs were estimated at $1.918 million.

“The actual costs are of course very much higher than this,” Professor Sharpe says. “The cumulative human costs over the course of a lifetime are immeasurable. It is critical we step up and take a long term approach to eradicating this disease – how can we afford not to?”

Professor Sharpe says the Heart Foundation is working in strong support of a new Ministry of Health national rheumatic fever programme which has been commenced in high risk areas. “it is critical that we now take this opportunity to plan for the long haul and set standarads that will ensure sustainabilityand success beyond the life of the programme; also to span the vagaries of political cycles “.

“Eradicating rheumatic fever will require leadership, cohesion and a sustained quality effort,” he says. “It is a challenging test for us and failure is not an option.”

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