3 ARF notifications in 2024
4 RHD notifications in 2024
A notification rate is a way of measuring how often a health condition is reported in a population group over time. The ARF notification rate in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was 1.0 per 100,000 people in 2024. The RHD notification rate in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged less than 35 years was 1.9 per 100,000 people in 2024.
The most common age group of people who were diagnosed with ARF was 5-14 years. In this age group, more males were diagnosed than females.
The most common group of people who were notified with RHD was females between the ages of 25-34 years. RHD is not notifiable in people aged 35 years and older in NSW.
ARF can progress to RHD when permanent damage to the heart valve occurs. Of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people diagnosed with ARF, 8 (18%) were also diagnosed with RHD. Out of the 8 people also diagnosed with RHD, 3 (38%) were diagnosed with RHD between 0-3 months after their ARF diagnosis which is called a concurrent diagnosis.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people diagnosed with RHD, the majority (79%) were not notified as having a previous diagnosis of ARF. People may not have had a previous diagnosis of ARF for a number of reasons, these include if people did not visit the doctor when sick or the doctor thought the person was more likely to have a different illness. Other reasons include that the ARF diagnosis may not have been notified to NSW Health as it occurred before ARF was notifiable or the clinician did not send through a notification.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in regional and rural LHDs are more likely to be diagnosed with both ARF and RHD than people living within metropolitan Sydney. The difference in rates between metropolitan Sydney and regional and rural LHDs is likely as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in regional and rural areas often face more social and economic disadvantage. These challenges lead to health inequality and higher rates of ARF and RHD.
0.00 0.01 - 0.99 1.00-1.99 2.00-2.99 3.00-3.99 Greater than 4
1Some people were notified with ARF more than once between 2020-2024.
Data for this report was extracted from the Notifiable Conditions Records for Epidemiology and Surveillance, NSW Ministry of Health on 17 September 2025. Population data including population by LHD, population by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander status and NSW population were obtained from the Australian Bureau of Statistics via the Secure Analytics for Population Health Research and Intelligence System (SAPHaRI).
