Extra funding not for South

Extra funding to combat rheumatic fever will not be provided in Otago and Southland where there have been no notifications of the acute disease in the last five years.

An extra $12 million is being spent in eight centres around the country to detect and prevent rheumatic fever, a disease which can cause permanent heart damage.

Otago-Southland medical officer of health Dr Marion Poore said acute rheumatic fever was a notifiable disease.

No notifications had been received by Public Health South in the last five years and she had no concerns the disease was there but not being recognised.

Nationally, in the five years from 2006-10, 914 children were admitted to hospital with rheumatic fever or heart disease.

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