SUVA, Sept. 10 (Xinhua) -- Fiji has one of the highest rates of Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) in the world with at least 60 deaths a year being reportedly attributed to the disease in the South Pacific island nation.

According to Fijivillage website on Monday, RHD is a significant health problem in Fiji with about one child in every classroom is living with the disease in the country with a population of more an 880,000.

Cure Kids is a leading national-level, research-based project, improving and building capacity across all aspects of RHD control and prevention.

Working in partnership with AccorHotels, the Ministry of Health and world-leading RHD experts from countries such as Australia and New Zealand, Cure Kids said that the prevalence of the disease in Fijian children, aged 5 to 14 years, is 35.4 per 1,000.

The disease affecting one in 50 children in the island nation is a preventable condition, said Cure Kids, adding that the goal is to expand and strengthen the existing Fiji RHD Control Program to include new models of care and prevention with the aim of reducing the number of cases.

In June 2014, a four-year partnership and multi-million-dollar project commenced with the aim of preventing and reducing the impact of RHD in Fiji.

RHD is a serious heart condition that occurs following an attack of Acute Rheumatic Fever which can occur after a strong immune response to a throat infection caused by a strep throat infection.

If appropriate antibiotic treatment is not administered, inflammation of the heart can cause scarring of the heart valves resulting in significant morbidity and possible death.