Dwelling standards
Apart from adequate size of houses, a house in acceptable condition, with working facilities that support healthy living, is important in reducing the risk of group A streptococcus. A house is considered to be in acceptable condition if it has no more than 2 structural problems and has the following facilities:
- working facilities for washing people
- working facilities for washing clothes or bedding
- working facilities for preparing food
- working sewerage facilities.
In 2018-19 (the most recent data available for this measure), about 69,000 (19.7%) First Nations households lived in a house that was not in acceptable condition according to the above definition. About 87% of these households were in NSW, QLD, WA, SA and NT.
In 2018–19, about 43% of First Nations households in Very remote areas were living in houses that were not in acceptable condition, compared with 26% in Remote areas, 23% in Outer regional areas, 14% in Inner regional areas and 17% in Major cities (AIHW analysis of ABS 2023b).
More detail on the association between the 9 Healthy Living Practices and Strep A, ARF and RHD is provided in Chapter 4 of The 2020 Australian guideline for the prevention, diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease (RHDAustralia 2020).
AIHW (2023b) Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Performance Framework measures 2.02 Access to functional housing with utilities -Table D2.02.6, AIHW, Australian Government, accessed 4 September 2023.
RHDAustralia (ARF/RHD writing group) (2020) The 2020 Australian guideline for the prevention, diagnosis and management of acute rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease, 3.2 edn (2022), RHDAustralia, Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin.