March 12, 2017
Parents key to reduce rheumatic fever
Parent power is seen as the key to further reductions in rheumatic fever cases.
A report on New Zealand’s response to the current rheumatic fever epidemic published in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal says school-based clinics and throat swabbing has halved the rate of new infections in high risk groups such as south Auckland Maori and Pasifika under 12s .
Study leader Professor Diana Lennon says the programme builds on the community-based approach pioneered in the 1980s in a partnership with the Maori Women’s Welfare League.
She says success is driven by communities buying in.
"It’s very very important that community initiatives are led by whanau. That people know that their issues are important and if their doctor outside of a school programme, they are going to their local GP, is not quite taking it on board, then people really do have to say look I have parent power here, my kid is at risk of rheumatic fever you must swab and treat if necessary," she says.
Professor Lennon says she is also seeing success with other approaches, such as in the Waikato where pharmacists have taken responsibility for doing throat swabs.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH DIANA LENNON
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com