Investigators: Catherine Halkon, Glenn Pearson, Jonathan Carapetis, Kate Harford, Rosemary Wyber
External collaborators: Anna Ralph (Menzies School of Health Research), Heather D'Antoine (Menzies School of Health Research), Vicki Krause (NT Department of Health), Vicki Wade (Menzies School of Health Research), Kate Hardie (Northern Territory), John Havnen (NACCHO), Angela Kelly (Menzies School of Health Research), Christine Fitzgerald (Department of Housing, NT), Marea Fittock (Department of Housing, NT)
Partner: BUPA Health Foundation
The END RHD Communities approach uses community-led, research-backed prevention strategies to tackle Strep A skin and throat infections, acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease. Central to the model is the employment of Aboriginal Community Workers to develop professional partnerships with individuals and families at highest risk and assist them to navigate the health care system, increase their self-management capacity and manage environmental risk factors.
Three communities in the Northern Territory (Barunga in the Roper Gulf Region, Milikapiti in the Tiwi Islands and Manyalluluk also in the Roper Gulf Region) are already working through this adaptable, community-centric approach to act to address RHD. The Department of Health has granted separate funding to apply and adapt the END RHD Communities approach in the Kimberley.