Rheumatic Heart Disease Community Streptococcal Treatment Program "RESET"

Rheumatic Heart Disease Community Streptococcal Treatment Program "RESET"

The primary objective of this study is to determine the impact of a pragmatic RHD primary prevention program in Uganda.

The secondary Objective are as follow:

1. To improve guideline-based care for sore throat through frontline healthcare provider education on clinical decision rules and guideline-based primary prevention.
2. To increase health seeking behavior for sore throat thorough a multifaceted community awareness campaign.

Our intervention is designed as a service-oriented plan to be implemented through the primary healthcare structure and facilities of both the national health and private system. Additional support will come from the education system, with participation from schools, teachers, patients, patient families, and the public. Our intervention will focus on two of the more easily rectified impediments to primary prevention, namely (1) poor uptake of guideline-based treatments for Group A Streptococcal (GAS) pharyngitis and (2) low levels of public awareness of the importance of sore throat care and treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Has agreed to participate in the study via the study's informed consent/assent process.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known history of ARF or RHD
• Any known co-morbid conditions (HIV, renal deficiencies, severe malnutrition,
• among others) that have resulted in prescription of regular antibiotic prophylaxis
• Structural or functional cardiac defects, other than those consistent with RHD, that were known prior to or detected through echo screening (except patent foramen ovale, small atrial septal defect, small ventricular septal defect, small patent ductus arteriosus).