Deadly Heart Trek to combat rheumatic heart disease in Central Australian communities

RHD has been eradicated in most affluent countries, but in Australia about 10,000 people have the disease - 90 per cent of those are Indigenous. Now a group is on a trek for awareness.

A group of 16 cardiologists, cultural advisers, nurses and paediatricians will be visiting 22 remote communities in a fortnight in the hopes of preventing rheumatic heart disease.

Deadly Heart Trek launched its Central Australian leg of the trek on Saturday, with the tour officially beginning on Monday morning.

Dr Gavin Wheaton, a cardiologist on the trek, said rheumatic fever followed a Strep A infection of the skin or of the throat, and caused a range of symptoms including fever and arthritis.

“But most importantly it causes inflammation and damage to heart valves, and that damage is what we refer to as rheumatic heart disease.”

Deadly Heart Trek co-chairs Vicki Wade, left, and Georgina Byron. Deadly Heart Incorporated will officially become an incorporation next week, as the Trek begins on Monday.

He said the peak age of RHD diagnoses was school-aged children between five and 15.

“In most affluent countries in the world this disease has all but disappeared,” he said.

“Sadly that is not the case for Aboriginal people in this country, who continue to suffer the highest rate of rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in the world.”

He pointed to a recent report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare on Thursday which found in Australia the disease had not declined, with just short of 10,000 people on rheumatic registers.

“The data also tells us if nothing changes, that number of 10,000 will double in the next eight years.”

Part of the group of 16 specialists that will begin the trek through communities on Tuesday.

Indigenous leaders will guide the group of specialists through 22 communities, where they will be checking children’s hearts and skin, providing treatment when and if needed, and providing community education around RHD.

Dr Bo Remenyi, a paediatric cardiologist on the trek, said the condition was “mostly preventive”, and the medicos were trying to keep childrens hearts healthy.

Cultural guide “Dr Greg” and Dr Gavin Wheaton at the kick off of the Deadly Heart Trek in Alice Springs. Dr Wheaton has been working in the RHD space for “the better part of 40 years”.

Vicki Wade, senior Noongar woman, co-chair of the Deadly Heart Trek, First Nations Heart Health Lead at the Heart Foundation Australia and former director at RHDAustralia, said respecting country was at the heart of the trek’s mission.

She emphasised food security, secure housing and safe access to water were some of the most important factors behind preventing RDH.

“It’s all about the importance of coming up with local solutions,” she said.

“We’re coming in, we’re going to tread lightly, and we’re coming where we’re invited.”