An infectious disease specialist says the prospect of a safe, effective and affordable vaccine to combat rheumatic fever is a huge step forward.
Photo: AFP
The disease affects people in a number of Maori communities - including the Far North, South Auckland and Porirua - and is caused by what is known as a Strep A bug that can lead to heart damage.
Listen to Lance O'Sullivan
Dr Lance O'Sullivan, who runs a clinic in Kaitaia, sees more than his fair share of patients who have rheumatic fever.
He said 35 people were suffering from it in his area alone.
Dr O'Sullivan said news from Australian and New Zealand clinicians that a vaccine could be developed was exciting, but the underlying causes of the fever also needed to be kept in mind.
"The problem with rheumatic fever and the driver behind it ie overcrowding, poverty... is a big issue.
"It's pretty complex, multifactorial, and has lots of layers to it. But look, I do celebrate this announcement that a vaccine could help us in the battle such a debilitating disease."
While Dr O'Sullivan would welcome a vaccine, he said a lot a work needed to be done to deal with the disease's associated causes - housing, poverty and a lack of access to medical care.
Professor Michael Baker specialises in infectious diseases at the University of Otago's Department of Public Health in Wellington.
He backs Dr O'Sullivan's comments about how living conditions contribute to people getting rheumatic fever.
"Certainly, there's evidence that things like household crowding increases the risk.
"So a vaccine is great for reducing a disease risk, but you also have to look at the whole social environment... because if we can improve that, that will protect people from a wide range of health outcomes.
"But certainly the history of vaccines in New Zealand has been extremely positive. We've eliminated a lot of serious diseases through the use of vaccinations".
Professor Baker said there would be a lot of work to do before the vaccine could be made available.
The Australasian Society for Infectious Diseases said both Australia and New Zealand invest in developing a vaccine more than any other country in the world
Clinicians hope to have one in advanced development in three years' time.