Praneeta Prakash 
The battle against rheumatic heart disease continues as 60 young lives are lost annually.
The Ministry of Health, through its dedicated Rheumatic Heart Disease Divisional Coordinator, Poonam Pal, is urging parents to remain vigilant and well-informed about the symptoms of this debilitating disease.
This urgency comes as the nation observes World Heart Day, emphasizing the importance of understanding that rheumatic heart disease is preventable, yet a concerning number of cases and deaths persist in the country.
Pal emphasizes that education and awareness are key in this fight.
She says understanding that rheumatic heart disease is a condition that can be avoided through proper preventative measures is crucial for the Fijian populace.
“Its disease progression so that’s why we are more concerned about if your child is having sore throats and if they having skin sore. The rheumatic fever is actually very common amongst our 5 to 15 year old age group.”
Pal says it is a childhood illness and if not treated on time , it can be deadly.
She is calling on Fijians to get their children screened and be aware of the signs and symptoms of Rheumatic heart disease.
