Fiji Rheumatic Heart Disease Programme

Margaret Leong, an Infection Prevention and Control Advisor at the Pacific Community @spc_cps, is an inspiring example of how @WHOGOARN empowers professionals to develop leadership skills and contribute to global outbreak response. Margaret went from being a #GOARN trainee to becoming a faculty member — and eventually, a regional leader who plays a pivotal role in strengthening the health emergency workforce across the #Pacific.

The global vaccine drives of the second half of the 20th century are one of humanity’s greatest achievements, thanks to the dedication of health workers like Melaia of #Fiji 🇫🇯 who make delivering vaccination #HumanlyPossible. Watch Melaia's story ⬇

@RHDResearchRRCU Together, we can raise awareness and end the stigma around RHD!

.@LancetGH #Oxygen Commission exposed wide gaps in access to medical oxygen in the Pacific but #Fiji is showing the way forward. 🙏 special partnership between @FijiGovernment #Fiji @FNUFiji @fiji_rhd @MOHFiji @AucklandUni @MFATNZ @CureKidsNZ & more Learn more 👉auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2025/0…

Privileged to present #PacificRHD Program at DCS15 in Nadi. Thank you @dfat @AmbGlobalHealth for responding to Pacific leaders' call to address rheumatic heart disease in the region, by establishing a Pacific RHD Hub & targeted support to Vanuatu & Solomon Islands. 🤝 @spc_cps

What's next in the fight against the leading infectious killer of children? Find out @TheUnion_TBLH webinar on child #pneumonia! **REGISTER NOW** shorturl.at/dxiKH With @JHUGlobalHealth @WHO @AHRI_ETH @icddr_b @AucklandUni #ChildSurvivalAction #HealthforAll #WHA

It is so easy and yet super rewarding to volunteer for an important cause. Especially when it means helping dedicated individuals like the gang at @heartheroesfiji formerly @fiji_rhd. You too can support the cause: #RheumaticHeartDisease, a condition that affects far too many young Fijian. If you have grant proposal writing or programme support expertise, please contact Erini. #VolunteerYourTime #UseHeartKnowHeart #VibrantHearts

@LiceMovono Vina’a Lice for sharing. Nasi ni Koro play such an important role as community health workers and the first point of contact for many in our Taukei villages and settlements. Her message about early detection for RHD is one that needs to be shared widely. Vina’a Marama Tovata ❤️

Vinaka vakalevu @LiceMovono for the work you do & amplifying our #HeartHeroes voices. Malo a vadrakai Bu Lo, Totoka a vamacala kei na veiqaravi vinaka 🤩👏🏽❤️

Congratulations @AshaBowen 🥳🎉🤩👏🏽

This happens when young RHD patients have the opportunity to reach their full potential! Fast forward from a 14-year-old child with profound heart failure from #RHD to #MVR in 2014 and educational opportunity. Now a talented young woman with self-confidence teaching in the 3-4 year class at #SacredHeart in Weymouth! Congrats Redempta!

An honor and a pivotal moment for Heart Heroes Fiji, as we humbly welcome Na Gone Marama Bale Na Roko Tui Dreketi @RoTeimumuKepa as our Patron. We are Grateful for her commitment to champion the cause of Rheumatic Heart Disease awareness and support in our community. #endrhd

"Addressing SDH, through the implementation of primordial prevention strategies, could have broader implications, not only improving RHD-related health outcomes but also impacting other neglected diseases in low-resource settings." 📣 New Analysis ➡️ gh.bmj.com/content/8/Supp…

"Think innovatively about the curriculum .. integrate #PublicHealth into the curriculum more." Dr. @lieslzuhlke stresses the need for #decolonization, patient-centeredness, and recognizing social determinants of health in medical training and practice. #RHDCongress #MedEd #RHD

"WHF believes that every individual deserves access to the best possible heart care, and this belief drives our actions and initiatives. By addressing #RHD, we are not only pursuing our mission of ensuring cardiovascular health for everyone, but also recognizing that RHD is a social justice issue, thriving where poverty and inequalities are the highest." – WHF President-Elect Jagat Narula @LubbDup #RHDCongress

@worldheartfed @heartheroesfiji

📣 And that's a wrap on day 2 of #RHDCongress! Thank you to everyone who joined us online and in person today from all over the world ❤️ See you tomorrow! 👉 #saturday-4-november" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">worldcongressonrhd.org/programme/#sat… #EndRHD

How often do you see MoH rep of Fiji asking Italian 🇮🇹 hematologist working in Sudan 🇸🇩 q to follow up on comments by 🫀 surgeons from Uganda 🇺🇬 & Egypt 🇪🇬 (+ all women in men-dominated specialty)? Inspired after moderating #RHDCongress top surgical abstracts & seeing 👏 work 🌐

Fantastic talk by @FBaturine @globalarchorg on the role and impact of patient support groups in #RHD care: ⬆️ Retention, empowerment, data 🔎 Gaps in care ⬇️ Patient-provider gap, misconceptions, concerns #RHDCongress

@WHO Director-General @DrTedros addressing delegates at the #RHDCongress Opening Plenary: “#RHD affects more than 40M people globally every year and causes over 300,000 deaths. It disproportionately impacts LMICs, as well as indigenous populations and other marginalised communities. The same socio-economic inequalities that make it difficult to prevent rheumatic fever are those that also make it difficult to identify and treat rheumatic heart disease.”

Wow! Dr. David Watkins highlights that epidemiology and health economics data are one thing, but effective #advocacy messages are another. #RHDCongress Example: scaling #ARF/#RHD prevention and care 🌐 equals...