New partnership to tackle rheumatic heart disease in First Nations communities

Acute rheumatic Fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are preventable diseases triggered by a bacterial streptococcal infection with lifelong impact. In addressing health disparities in Australia, the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO) and The Snow Foundation have partnered to prevent these diseases in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The nation continues to record some of the highest rates of RHD globally, according to the latest Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) report. This disease disproportionately affects Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may requires lifelong care, including many years of preventive antibiotics and, sometimes, invasive cardiac surgery.

The Snow Foundation’s grant of $1 million ($500,000 annually for an initial two years) will expand NACCHO’s ARF and RHD Prevention Program into more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Organisations and their communities. This strategic two-year investment aims to bolster the broader Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Sector, enabling it to scale up efforts to prevent and manage these devastating yet preventable diseases.

“As Australia’s peak community-controlled body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health and wellbeing, NACCHO acknowledges The Snow Foundation as one of the first in Australia to support community-controlled program design and delivery. We all have a part to play in closing the gap,” Dr Dawn Casey, CEO of NACCHO said.

Without immediate and decisive action led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, these numbers are projected to double within the next decade.

In an interview with Health Industry Hub, former Roche Diagnostics Managing Director, Allison Rossiter, delved into the health inequities impacting First Nations people, including the pressing issue of rheumatic heart disease. Working alongside the three experts, the company is co-designing an Indigenous-led solution to tackle this disease.

The NACCHO partnership builds on The Snow Foundation’s 13-year focus on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health. It reflects the shared values of listening to and supporting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders, communities, and strengths-based programs focusing on self-determination and sustainability.

More recently The Snow Foundation’s focus has been on community-led programs including Champions for Change, Orange Sky laundries, and initiatives that facilitate community outreach by paediatric cardiologists and their multidisciplinary specialist teams.

“NACCHO are the experts in Aboriginal health and wellbeing, driving community-led initiatives where the power and decision-making are in Aboriginal communities’ hands. We have seen firsthand that this achieves better outcomes,” Georgina Byron, CEO of The Snow Foundation said.

“We’re delighted to partner with NACCHO and see the importance of backing Aboriginal leadership and ensuring Aboriginal health is controlled by Aboriginal people and communities. This partnership re-affirms the principles of self-empowerment and self-determination that will achieve more impact through community-led strategies.”

The partnership between NACCHO and The Snow Foundation is an example of the collaborative effort required to meet the government’s commitment to eradicate new cases of RHD by 2030.

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