Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a preventable non-communicable condition that disproportionately affects the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. The World Heart Federation Roadmap for Reducing Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality Through Prevention and Control of RHD is a resource designed to help a variety of stakeholders raise the profile of RHD nationally and globally, and provide a framework to guide and support the strengthening of national, regional and global RHD control efforts.
The Roadmap identifies the barriers that limit access to and uptake of proven interventions for the prevention and control of RHD. It also highlights a variety of established and promising solutions that may be used to overcome these barriers. As a general guide, the Roadmap is meant to serve as the foundation for the development of tailored plans of action to improve RHD control in specific contexts.
This WHF Roadmap was produced by a global team of experts. Writing Committee members include Benjamin Palafox, Ana Olga Mocumbi, R Krishna Kumar, Sulafa KM Ali, Elizabeth Kennedy, Abraham Haileamlak, David Watkins, Kadia Petricca, Rosemary Wyber, Patrick Timeon and Jeremiah Mwangi.
This Roadmap was launched on 5 June 2016 during the World Congress of Cardiology & Cardiovascular Health in Mexico, and has been published in Global Heart.
