As rheumatic heart disease is increasing especially among children the Health Ministry now has the support of Cure Kids New Zealand to help reduce the impact of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in Fiji.
While launching the Rheumatic Heart Disease Prevention and Control Programme, Health Minister Jone Usamate says they have recently formalised its relationship with Cure Kids as partners and co-founders on the next phase of the $5 million RHD program.
Usamate says the project which provides four years of funding will further build on the initial work of the Fiji RHD, control programme.
He adds it has been estimated that RHD costs Fiji approximately $19 million per year, with the majority of the impact coming from loss of productivity, hospitalisation and surgical interventions.
