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National | Rheumatic Fever

$1mill fund to reduce rheumatic fever in Māori communities

Health Minister Jonathan Coleman has announced a new $1 million one-off fund aimed at increasing awareness and reducing rheumatic fever in high-risk Māori communities.

He says, "Rheumatic fever is a serious but preventable disease. Children and young people from Māori and Pacific communities are the most vulnerable."

The Rheumatic Fever Māori Community Fund targets six DHB regions where most of the Māori rheumatic fever cases occur - Northland, Counties Manukau, Waikato, Lakes, Bay of Plenty and Tairāwhiti.

These DHBs will distribute funding to Māori community groups for small-scale initiatives to test innovative solutions for increasing awareness and helping to prevent rheumatic fever.

It is expected that community groups will start delivering initiatives from July through to October.

Coleman says, "The Rheumatic Fever Māori Community Fund helps the sector and communities to work together. It also supports DHBs in their efforts to address rheumatic fever.

Nationally, we're making good progress towards the target of reducing rheumatic fever rates by two-thirds by the end of June 2017. This shows the $65 million investment the Government's made to prevent rheumatic fever is making a real difference. However, we need to continue to do more."

Latest figures show a 45 percent rheumatic fever reduction from 2012 to 2015. This includes a 54 percent reduction in cases among Māori.

There has also been a drop of 27 per cent for Pacific people.