Atlanta Daily World

Medic Encourages Fight Against Rheumatic Fever

Although substantial gains in the fight to "Stop Rheumatic Fever" have been made in the past year, there must be no relaxing of the program's activities as it enters its second year, said Dr. Lamont Henry, Atlanta, past president of the Georgia Heart Association.

The extent of the job which remains to be done is clearly evident, said Dr. Henry. Parents and teachers, civic organizations, and community health agencies must be reached through an intensified educational program, he declared.

"We now know that rheumatic fever can be prevented, and that continuous treatment can ward off recurrent attacks. We have learned that by preventing or by prompt and adequate treatment of streptococcal infections, we can prevent or at least sharply reduce the incidence of rheumatic fever, among the top 10 causes of death in Georgia."

With this information in hand, the need for a continuing educational program becomes apparent, said Dr. Henry, and the task of placing this information before those who can make use of it must not be relaxed.

In reporting the progress of the "Stop Rheumatic Fever" program since it was initiated last fall, Dr. Henry addressed some 200 Georgia physicians at the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Georgia Heart Association.

He said some 80 counties have developed active "Stop Rheumatic Fever" educational campaigns, and more than 100 counties have participated to some extent.

More than 600 programs on the prevention of rheumatic fever have been reported from all parts of the State, at which more than 100 doctor members of the Heart Association have spoken on the problem. As part of an extensive educational effort, more than 700,000 leaflets and pamphlets have been distributed on request.

Through Georgia's Heart Clinics, diagnosis and treatment is available to indigent patients. Drugs for the treatment of indigent rheumatic fever patients are available from the State Department of Public Health for patients in these clinics.

This summer 429 physicians in 67 counties were interviewed by a survey team of two medical students in an effort to determine the incidence of rheumatic fever in selected areas of Georgia.

The survey was a pilot project, and Dr. J. Willis Hurst, Atlanta, chairman of the GHA sub-committee on student fellowships, recommended to the Association that the survey be conducted again next summer in other parts of the state.