Rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease

Abstract

The present WHO Study Group was convened to review the current state of knowledge and medical and public health practice with regard to group A streptococcal infections, rheumatic fever, and rheumatic heart disease and the advances that have occurred during the past twenty years. The Study Group also made recommendations for improving implementation of rheumatic fever control programmes and pointed out areas where specific basic and applied research are needed to control this problem more effectively.