Rheumatic Heart Disease

The fight to save children from heart disease….

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) is a serious disease involving permanent damage to the heart valves after a person has acute rheumatic fever (ARF). Severe RHD can lead to conditions such as heart failure, stroke, disability and premature death. It most commonly affects children and young people and the effects can be lifelong. Timor-Leste has one […]

Four Women with RHD get life changing surgery – A story about changed lives….

“We need to continue to work together – researchers, communities and families – to change the story of RHD in the lives of our children, families and communities that are still affected and living with the impact of RHD on a daily basis.” My name is Joaquina de Sousa Maurays, I am a General Physician […]

Sitting down with Dr Jeremy

Last month, Maluk Timor was lucky to have a visit from some of the Australian Board and some volunteers to our office in Dili. Dr Jeremy Beckett, the previous CEO and current Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee for Maluk Timor, was part of this group. We had a chance to sit down to talk […]

Australians Volunteers International annual report – Maluk Timor team on the front :)

We made it the front page of the Australians Volunteers International annual report – Jess and Nencia on the cover, who worked with Rheumatic Heart Disease and Women’s Health and Social Care…read more

Rheumatic Heart Disease school based prevention program

Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) is a life-threatening heart condition which results from damage to heart valves caused by one or several episodes of rheumatic fever. Rheumatic fever can occur at any age, but usually occurs in children ages 5 to 15 years old. RHD is a preventable yet serious public health problem. School based screening […]

Becoming an expert in Rheumatic heart disease enables kids to grow old

My Name is Juliana dos Santos Sarmentu, I am a 29-year-old nurse from the city of Bacau, Timor-Leste. I studied nursing in Indonesia and then returned to live in Dili. I joined the Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) team at Maluk Timor in October 2019. I’m so glad to have the opportunity to work together with […]

On ‘world heart day’ – we remember – RHD is preventable!

What are you doing to celebrate world heart day? For many of us, world heart day means remembering to set exercise goals, eat more healthily or plan to quit smoking- we hope you also do something to protect your heart today! For the RHD team at Maluk Timor, world heart day is a reminder to […]

Australian Volunteers International (AVI’s) doing good

The below story appeared on the Australian Embassy’s facebook page about ‘OUR JESS’ – one of the marvellous Australians currently working as an AVI….link About Jess Harries…. Australia in Timor-Leste Health NGO Maluk Timor has played an important role in Timor-Leste’s successful response to COVID-19. Recently we introduced you to Dr Jeremy Beckett, the CEO […]

Voluntary Board member Dr Josh presenting – BE INSPIRED

Dr Josh presenting at DFTB conference………….. Don’t Forget The Bubbles was conceived as a way of sharing our collective knowledge. What started out as four enthusiastic players (Tessa, Ben, Henry and Andy) has grown so much bigger. With over 70 authors and more than 600 blog posts many people might wonder just where to start. […]

Timor Leste: healing hearts and minds

More efforts are being poured in healing Timor Leste’s most crippling disease: rheumatic heart disease.

Fighting RHD: 5 cardiologists: 700 students

On Monday we found ourselves set up for screening at the school in Cailaco with 4 echocardiography machines and 5 cardiologists and over 700 students to scan in 2.5 days. We faced a big challenge figuring out who was going to make the long and difficult drive back to Dili to source another machine from […]

Category: Rheumatic Heart Disease