Medtronic Philanthropy, the charitable arm of medical technology company Medtronic, has announced a five-year, $6 million initiative to reduce the rate of premature mortality caused by rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease in the world's poorest countries.

The initiative will support projects that integrate RHD interventions in primary care facilities in three as yet undetermined countries while leveraging current efforts focused on maternal and newborn care and HIV, including training community healthcare workers to function as a link between patients and the health system. To that end, Medtronic Philanthropy has established a consortium of global partners comprising the World Heart Federation, RhEACH, and the Global Heart Network to influence policy decisions related to RHD, serve as a technical hub that can provide assistance to all countries where RHD is prevalent, and give voice to people living with the disease.

"A strep throat infection should not be a death sentence because of where you live," said Dr. Jacob Gayle, vice president at Medtronic Philanthropy. "We don't fear RHD in industrialized countries because it is the most preventable form of cardiovascular disease. How we treat it is as an indicator of the overall strength of a community's health system and its capacity to reach underserved populations."