RHD affected at least 40 million people and caused an estimated 288 348 deaths in 2019. Despite it being eradicated in many parts of the world, the disease remains prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Central and South Asia, the South Pacific, and among immigrants and older adults in impoverished pockets of high-income countries.
WHO is responding to a request by Member States to develop a guideline that will help standardize quality care and accelerate effectors to prevent the disease.