Darling Downs Health, Cherbourg Aboriginal Shire Council and other stakeholders have been working on the Healthy Skin Healthy Heart program. This program started in March this year.

This program raises awareness of skin conditions and concerns about acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in the South Burnett.

The program offers:

  • Skin checks
  • Heart scans for 5- to 20-year-olds
  • Treatment
  • Health promotion
  • Environmental health support
  • In-home care
  • Community awareness events and incentives.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers have taken the lead in community care and engagement on this program.

By providing resources and information the community can understand how skin health affects heart health. This information shows the simple steps people can take to prevent rheumatic heart disease.

Darling Downs Public Health Unit, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health team and health professionals from the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Toowoomba are working together on this program. Since March the team have done 1,255 skin checks and 300 echocardiogram screenings for rheumatic heart disease in the South Burnett region.

We encourage anyone with a skin infection or sore throat to see a doctor or health worker as soon as possible.

Resources can be downloaded below.

For more information you can call the Darling Downs Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health team on 07 4699 8032.

Watch
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Mother of child:

They say rheumatic heart disease starts with a sore throat or skin sores that don’t get better.

When my child had a skin infection, we went to the clinic right away.

The doctor checked the skin on their arms and legs and took a swab from the sore.

They gave us antibiotics to make the skin get better.

If the doctor didn't see us right away, the bacteria from the skin could later make their heart sick with rheumatic heart disease.

Healthy skin makes a healthy heart. When your child gets skin sores or a sore throat, see your local health service or your doctor right away.

Last updated: August 2023

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