Table 1.

Specific rheumatic fever surveillance improvements identified by the surveillance sector review

High priority recommendations	Medium priority recommendations
• Develop a comprehensive RF surveillance strategy to provide sector leadership and coordination	• Establish systematic surveillance for GAS pharyngitis to characterise the epidemiology and microbiology of this condition
• Establish integrated national analysis and regular reporting of RF surveillance data including epidemiological, laboratory and intervention data	• Implement periodic surveys investigating how primary care clinicians manage pharyngitis cases
• Implement a national RF register with the capacity to support effective case management and strategy-focused surveillance	• Implement periodic surveys to measure public response to RF messages
• Review the RF surveillance case definition and clarify inclusion of RHD cases in young people	• Integrate regular analysis of RHD incidence and mortality data into comprehensive RF surveillance reporting
• Expand the range of determinant, risk factor and protective factor data collected on RF cases	• Develop an evidence-based national strategy for echocardiography screening for RHD
• Establish systematic national reporting on coverage and outcomes of throat swabbing clinics