Valvular & structural heart diseaseCohort study
Early Implementation and Clinical Outcomes of an Integrated Rheumatic Heart Disease Screening and Treatment Program in Northern Uganda
- Early implementation and clinical outcomes of an rheumatic heart disease (RHD) program
- program and registry data
- RHD care cascade
- time-to-event analysis
Authors' conclusion
An integrated RHD program in Uganda achieved successful delivery of echocardiographic screening within primary healthcare and acceptable early outcomes. The care cascade framework can be used to monitor similar RHD programs and identify opportunities for improvement.
Study context
- Population
- People screened for rheumatic heart disease within primary healthcare in Kitgum district, northern Uganda, May 2023 to December 31, 2024people screened over 18 months
- Participants
- 25,358 people
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Screening uptake · each month
Share of the district's target population screened each month
about 1%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Screening yield · Over 18 months
- People screened
- 25 358
- Positive screens
- 1213 (4.8%)
- Confirmed RHD cases
- 333 (1.3%)
Characteristics of those screened
- Female, among those screened
- 16 406 (64%)
- Children (aged 5 years-14 years), among those screened
- 10 746 (42%)
- Adolescents (aged 15 years-24 years), among those screened
- 7333 (28%)
Confirmatory echocardiograms
- Of those with positive screens, received confirmatory echocardiograms
- 972 (80%)
Characteristics of confirmed cases
- Mean age of confirmed cases
- 28 years
- Female, among confirmed cases
- 224 (67%)
Adherence to secondary antibiotic prophylaxis
- Individuals achieving at least acceptable adherence
- 220 (75%)
- Among those who defaulted, defaulted within 6 months of enrollment
- 79%
- acceptable adherence defined as 80%-89%
Original publication
Early Implementation and Clinical Outcomes of an Integrated Rheumatic Heart Disease Screening and Treatment Program in Northern Uganda. Circ Popul Health Outcomes. Published 1 May 2026. doi:10.1161/circoutcomes.125.012831
Summarised from the published abstract; every number is checked against it