Culturally supported health promotion to See, Treat, Prevent (SToP) skin infections in Aboriginal children living in the Kimberley region of Western Australia: a qualitative analysis.

Background: While there are many skin infections, reducing the burden of scabies and impetigo for remote living Aboriginal people, particularly children remains challenging. Aboriginal children living in remote communities have experienced the highest reported rate of impetigo in the world and are 15 times more likely to be admitted to hospital with a skin infection compared to non-Aboriginal children. Untreated impetigo can develop into serious disease and may contribute to the development of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD). As the largest organ protecting the body and visible to everyone, skin infections are often unsightly and very painful, therefore maintaining healthy skin and reducing the burden of skin infections is important for overall physical and cultural health and well-being. Biomedical treatments alone will not address these factors; therefore, a holistic, strengths-based approach that aligns with the Aboriginal world view of wellness is required to help reduce the prevalence of skin infections and their downstream consequences. Methods: Culturally appropriate yarning sessions with community members were conducted between May 2019 and November 2020. Yarning sessions have been identified as a valid method for story sharing and collecting information. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews and focus groups with school and clinic staff were conducted. When consent was provided, interviews were audio-recorded and saved as a digital recording in a de-identified format; for those yarning sessions not recorded, handwritten notes were scribed. Audio recordings and handwritten notes were uploaded into NVivo software prior to a thematic analysis being conducted. Findings: Overall, there was a strong knowledge of recognition, treatment, and prevention of skin infections. However, this did not extend to the role skin infections play in causing ARF, RHD or kidney failure. Our study has confirmed three main findings: 1. The biomedical model of treatment of skin infections remained strong in interviews with staff living in the communities; 2. Community members have a reliance and belief in traditional remedies for skin infections; and 3. Ongoing education for skin infections using culturally appropriate health promotion resources. Interpretation: While this study revealed ongoing challenges with service practices and protocols associated with treating and preventing skin infections in a remote setting, it also provides unique insights requiring further investigation. Bush medicines are not currently practiced in a clinic setting, however, using traditional medicines alongside biomedical treatment procedures facilitates cultural security for Aboriginal people. Further investigation, and advocacy to establish these into practice, procedures and protocols is warranted. Establishing protocols and practice procedures focused on improving collaborations between service providers and community members in remote communities is also recommended. Funding: Funding was received from the National Health and Medical Research Council [NHMRC] (GNT1128950), Health Outcomes in the Tropical NORTH [HOT NORTH 113932] (Indigenous Capacity Building Grant), and WA Health Department and Healthway grants contributed to this research. A.C.B. receives a NHMRC investigator Award (GNT1175509). T.M. receives a PhD scholarship from the Australian Centre for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ACE-NTD), an NHMRC centre of excellence (APP1153727).

Seven key actions to eradicate rheumatic heart disease in Africa: the Addis Ababa communiqué.

Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) remain major causes of heart failure, stroke and death among African women and children, despite being preventable and imminently treatable. From 21 to 22 February 2015, the Social Cluster of the Africa Union Commission (AUC) hosted a consultation with RHD experts convened by the Pan-African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to develop a 'roadmap' of key actions that need to be taken by governments to eliminate ARF and eradicate RHD in Africa. Seven priority areas for action were adopted: (1) create prospective disease registers at sentinel sites in affected countries to measure disease burden and track progress towards the reduction of mortality by 25% by the year 2025, (2) ensure an adequate supply of high-quality benzathine penicillin for the primary and secondary prevention of ARF/RHD, (3) improve access to reproductive health services for women with RHD and other non-communicable diseases (NCD), (4) decentralise technical expertise and technology for diagnosing and managing ARF and RHD (including ultrasound of the heart), (5) establish national and regional centres of excellence for essential cardiac surgery for the treatment of affected patients and training of cardiovascular practitioners of the future, (6) initiate national multi-sectoral RHD programmes within NCD control programmes of affected countries, and (7) foster international partnerships with multinational organisations for resource mobilisation, monitoring and evaluation of the programme to end RHD in Africa. This Addis Ababa communiqué has since been endorsed by African Union heads of state, and plans are underway to implement the roadmap in order to end ARF and RHD in Africa in our lifetime.

Management of invasive group A streptococcal infections.

Invasive group A streptococcal (GAS) disease in children includes deep soft tissue infection, bacteraemia, bacteraemic pneumonia, meningitis and osteomyelitis. The expression of toxins and super antigens by GAS can complicate infection by triggering an overwhelming systemic inflammatory response, referred to as streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). The onset and progression of GAS disease can be rapid, and the associated mortality high. Prompt antibiotics therapy and early surgical debridement of infected tissue are essential. Adjunctive therapy with intravenous immunoglobulin and hyperbaric therapy may improve outcomes in severe disease. Nosocomial outbreaks and secondary cases in close personal contacts are not uncommon; infection control measures and consideration of prophylactic antibiotics to those at high risk are important aspects of disease control. To reduce a substantial part of the global burden of GAS disease, an affordable GAS vaccine with efficacy against a broad number of strains is needed.

Preventing urinary tract infections in early childhood.

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is common in children, causes them considerable discomfort, as well as distress to parents and has a tendency to recur. Approximately 20% of those children who experience one infection will have a repeat episode. Since 1975, 11 trials of long-term antibiotics compared with placebo or no treatment in 1,550 children have been published. Results have been heterogeneous, but the largest trial demonstrated a small reduction (6% absolute risk reduction, risk ratio 0.65) in the risk of repeat symptomatic UTI over 12 months of treatment. This effect was consistent across sub groups of children based upon age, gender, vesicoureteric reflux status and number of prior infections. Trials involving re-implantation surgery (and antibiotics compared with antibiotics alone) for the sub-group of children with vesicoureteric reflux have not shown a reduction in repeat UTI, with the possible exception of a very small benefit for febrile UTI. Systematic reviews have shown that circumcision reduces the risk of repeat infection but 111 circumcisions would need to be performed to prevent one UTI in unpredisposed boys. Given the need for anaesthesia and the risk of surgical complication, net clinical benefit is probably restricted to those who are predisposed (such as those with recurrent infection). Many small trials in complementary therapies have been published and many suggest some benefit, however inclusion of children is limited. Only three trials involving 394 children for cranberry products, two trials with a total of 252 children for probiotics and one trial with 24 children for vitamin A are published. Estimates of efficacy vary widely and imprecision is evident. Multiple interventions to prevent UTI in children exist. Of those, long-term low dose antibiotics has the strongest evidence base, but the benefit is small. Circumcision in boys reduces the risk substantially, but should be restricted to those at risk. There is little evidence of benefit of re-implantation alone, and the benefit of this procedure over antibiotics alone is very small. Cranberry concentrate is probably effective.

Position statement of the World Heart Federation on the prevention and control of rheumatic heart disease.

In the 21(st) century, rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) are neglected diseases of marginalized communities. Globally, RHD remains the most-common cardiovascular disease in young people aged <25 years. Although RF and RHD have been almost eradicated in areas with established economies, migration from low-income to high-income settings might be responsible for a new burden of RHD in high-income countries. The World Heart Federation (WHF) and its Working Group on RF and RHD unites global experts, combines their experience and enthusiasm, and provides a platform for RHD control. This paper is a declaration of the WHF institutional strategic goal--a 25% reduction in premature deaths from RF and RHD among individuals aged <25 years by the year 2025. The position statement affirms WHF commitments to five key strategic targets: comprehensive register-based control programmes, global access to benzathine penicillin G, identification and development of public figures as 'RHD champions', expansion of RHD training hubs, and support for vaccine development. In this paper, we also review existing barriers to RF and RHD control and identify the actions required to change the trajectory of control for these diseases. This approach provides the foundation for governments, civil society, patient advocates, clinicians, researchers, and funding agencies to develop partnerships and unify global efforts to control RF and RHD. The WHF plans to expand this position statement to an operational plan that will be founded on science, research, and quantifiable progress indicators to impact positively on the millions of people who are affected by RHD and its long-term sequelae.

Prevention and treatment of rheumatic heart disease in the developing world.

The prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in industrialized countries has declined dramatically over the last century, but the disease remains an important global health problem with the burden of disease shouldered by developing countries. Indeed, data from epidemiologic surveys, which used echocardiography as the primary screening tool, indicate that the prevalence of RHD in developing nations might have been substantially underestimated. Despite the high burden of disease globally, there has never been a sustained and comprehensive international strategy to control RHD. The current focus of global efforts to combat the disease is on strengthening secondary prophylaxis strategies, although very few active national programs have been implemented. RHD will continue to cause high morbidity and mortality among the world's poorest populations unless current prevention initiatives expand and new programs are established.

Recurrent crepitant cellulitis caused by Clostridium perfringens.

A previously healthy 13-year-old boy developed extensive subcutaneous emphysema of the lower limb after a penetrating injury to the knee. Clostridium perfringens was isolated from the wound. Despite surgical debridement and appropriate antibiotics, the emphysema recurred, and prolonged antibiotic treatment was required. This case highlights the distinction between gas gangrene and the lesser known entity of clostridial crepitant cellulitis.