March 08, 2016
Rheumatic fever hospitalisations drop
A disease which has been striking down disproportionate numbers of Maori and Pacific children could be on the wane.
Health Minister Jonathan Coleman says new figures show there has been a significant drop in national rheumatic fever rates.
Last year just 98 people were hospitalised for the first time with rheumatic fever in 2015, down 45 percent on the 177 hospitalisations in 2012.
Rates for Maori have come down 54 percent over the same period, while the Pacific rate declined 27 percent.
Rheumatic fever, which usually starts with a sore throat, can lead to lifelong heart problems.
Dr Coleman says the government has spent $65 million combating the disease, including creating more than 300 sore throat drop-in clinics which have seen more then 40,000 high risk young people.
A school service has assessed children in more than 200 North Island schools, and more than 3000 families a year are being offered packages of housing-related interventions.
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