Cure Kids Fiji will organise more awareness campaigns and fundraising for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) as part of its screening programme.

Cure Kids Fiji director of operations Sally Cooper said more time and resources would be used in developing community awareness about sore throat which can lead to heart complications and early treatment.

“Our focus for this year is to raise sufficient funds that will allow us to achieve our objectives for the RHD project, before extending our work into other health and medical services priority areas,” Ms Cooper said.

She said there was a need for more oxygen supplies in hospitals and other health facilities, particularly more remote health care facilities across the country.

“Pneumonia is the biggest killer of children and infants in Fiji, and if oxygen is available as a treatment, it reduces death, resulting from pneumonia, by up to 35 per cent,” she said.

“We have everything in place at a partnership and technical level to address this long-standing challenge through the use of oxygen concentrators, but now just need to raise the funds.”

Cure Kids Fiji is supported by major partners Accor Hotel Group, Ministry of Health and Medical Services, Fiji Water Foundation, Rosie Holidays, and Amacup.