“Kerala is poised to achieve another significant public-health milestone — eliminating rheumatic fever (RF), a potentially serious inflammatory disease that can lead to rheumatic heart disease (RHD), a life-threatening heart complication. The number of reported cases in the state has sharply decreased, from 40 in 2019 to just 15 in 2024 — well below the World Health Organization’s threshold. Remarkably, it has achieved this without the support of a national-level control programme. While the WHO had set a target of a 25% reduction in acute rheumatic fever (ARF) cases among those under 25 by 2025, Kerala surpassed this goal, reporting a 70% drop between 2019 and 2024.”From The New Indian Express.