About
What you need to know about Deadly Heart
This is a deadly heart story. It’s a story about the Traditional Custodians of this land. It’s about the Elders past, present and future. But it’s really about all of us and the standards we set as a nation. Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are already paving the way towards eliminating Rheumatic Heart Disease.
Now it’s time for you and every Australian to join in.
In 2016, a crew of filmmakers set out to shed light on a little-known disease that was threatening the lives of thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and adolescents.
Take Heart lifted the lid on Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), a preventable disease that kills two young Australians every week.
Take Heart focused on the problem of RHD in Australia and raised awareness of the disease for not only the general public, but AustraliaÎs major political parties too.
If you haven’t heard of RHD or the Take Heart campaign, you can find out everything you need to know here.
Take Heart was screened at Parliament House in Canberra and at hundreds of community events. It reached more than 13 million people through SBS, ABC, NITV, QANTAS and other media.
But cases of RHD continue to rise amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
It’s estimated that there are more than 6,000 Australians living with RHD today.
Cases will rise if we don’t act now.
The Commonwealth Government must invest in an action plan to reduce new cases of RHD to zero by 2030.
A blueprint already exists.
It’s called the RHD EndGame Strategy.
What we need is a commitment from the Commonwealth Government to make it happen.
On National Close the Gap Day 2022 a sequel, Take Heart: Deadly Heart, will release and demand immediate action against RHD
Take Heart: Deadly Heart was made by working closely with children, family, communities and health experts.
Their stories will show you that by investing in community-led initiatives and prevention programs, RHD is a problem that can be solved.
You can support the solutions. Stand with us and join the Deadly Heart campaign to eliminate RHD in Australia by 2030.
“This is one of the most critical health issues in our nation.”
– Dr Bo Remenyii, NT Australian of the Year