Rheumatic heart disease in Egypt: Gloomy past and promising future

Rheumatic fever (RF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) have decreased in prevalence in the advanced industrialized nation. In the developing world, RF and RHD although less prevalent than they were 30 to 50 years ago, are still a major health problem. Poor socio-economic standards and difficulty of reaching proper primary health care facilities are the main causes of the still relatively high prevalence. This article will discuss in brief the epidemiology of group A beta hemolytic streptococci (GAS) and RF/RHD as well as their global burden. The gloomy past of RF/RHD will hopefully give way to the promising future we all strive to achieve through better social standards, sanitation and hygiene, and availability of better health care for all.