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A leading Academic in rheumatic fever says if it was a disease that affected Pakeha children, much more would have been done.
The country's largest charitable child health organisation, Cure Kids, has committed $3-million for research projects to help eradicate the disease, which can cause life-long heart damage and lead to death.
Māori and Pasifika are disproportionately affected, making up 95 percent of new cases nationally.
Dr Anneka Anderson will be conducting one of the six research projects.
She spoke to Māni Dunlop.