The World Heart Federation selected the National Heart Foundation of Australia as the conference host, with support for the Perth event coming from the Western Australian Government, Business Events Perth and Business Events Australia, as well as through other health bodies including the American Heart Association, the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand and the US-based Leducq Foundation.
Rheumatic heart disease is damage to the heart valves, caused by acute rheumatic fever, in itself caused by untreated infection with streptococcal A.
While it has been almost eliminated in many urban areas, it still affects millions of people. In Australia it mostly occurs amongst young Indigenous Australians and is also found in the wider Western Pacific region, as well as sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East and in South and Southeast Asia.
“Rheumatic heart disease is a preventable disease that claims the lives and futures of too many young people, especially in disadvantaged communities in the Global South including those in Australia and across the Pacific,” said World Heart Federation president, Professor Jagat Narula.
“Building on the mega success of the First World Congress in RHD – Abu Dhabi 2023, we are honoured to be joining forces with the Heart Foundation of Australia, our co-hosts for the Second World Congress on RHD in Perth.
“The 40 million people living with the disease deserve the global attention, which would help us accelerate proven measures to diagnose, treat and prevent RHD.
“We at the World Heart Federation continue to champion the global efforts to finally consign this disease to history.”
Australia’s Heart Foundation CEO, David Lloyd, is also the vice president elect of the World Heart Foundation.
“[This] announcement by the World Heart Federation, along with the support of government and philanthropy to bring this congress to Australia, gives me immense hope that we will continue to make strides towards eradicating RHD.
“Rheumatic fever and heart disease are the result of disadvantage. We know how to eradicate it: we just need support to make it happen.”
The event will be held from November 12-14 at Pan Pacific Perth.
