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April 13, 2026CureusOpen Access

Prevalence of Rheumatic Heart Disease Among School-Aged Children in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

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Population

25,292 school-age children across 8 low- and middle-income countries, with mean age ranging from 9 to 14…

Design

Meta-analysis

Authors

MOMiriam A Okorie COCollins C Okeke ONOnyinye Ngige

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

The pooled prevalence of rheumatic heart disease among school-aged children in LMICs is 2.46%, highlighting a continued significant burden that requires strengthened screening and prevention programs.

Key Points

This review evaluates the prevalence of rheumatic heart disease among school-aged children in low- and middle-income countries.
Conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis
Searched PubMed and Google Scholar for relevant articles
Included studies were original research published in peer-reviewed journals
Utilized random-effects model for meta-analysis with Cochrane Q statistic and I2 index
Used Joanna Briggs Institute tool for quality assessment of studies.
Pooled prevalence of RHD was found to be 2.46% with a 95% confidence interval of 1.15%-4.25%
Total of 25,292 school-aged children included from eight LMICs
Significant heterogeneity observed across studies (I² = 98.3%, p < 0.001)
Indicates a continued burden of RHD and regional variability in prevalence
Highlights need for improved screening and preventive strategies in high-burden areas.

Structured PICO

Population

25,292 school-age children (6 to 15 years old) across 8 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with mean age ranging from 9 to 14 years.

Outcome

Pooled prevalence of rheumatic heart disease (RHD)

Limitations

High heterogeneity across studies (I² = 98.3%)

Cite This Study

Okorie et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69dc88303afacbeac03ea268 https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.106833

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