School sore throat
swabbing programme has
impact in Bay of Plenty
New research centred on Bay of Plenty
children, shows throat swabbing programmes
aimed at identifying infections which can cause
rheumatic fever have the greatest impact when
they are provided at school.
Rheumatic fever is a serious disease which can lead to permanent
heart damage if left untreated. Children and young people from
Māori and Pacific communities are the most vulnerable.
In the Eastern Bay Māori children aged 5-15 have a one in
40-90 chance of getting Acute Rheumatic Fever (ARF) in their
school years, compared to 1 in 10,000 for NZ European children
nationwide.
Research led by Whakatāne Hospital Paediatrician John Malcolm
shows the school-based throat swabbing programme currently
provided in Opotiki, Kawerau, Murupara, and Ngai Tuhoe schools
has halved ARF rates in the last five years. And for the greatest at