The “Cairo Accord”- towards the eradication of RHD: revisited (2026)

Rheumatic heart disease (RHD) continues to be a significant global health burden, particularly in resource-limited regions of the world. This preventable and often neglected disease affects predominantly children and young adults, leading to considerable morbidity and mortality. In this article, we revisit the Cairo Accord that aims to address the challenges of RHD and set policy priorities for its eradication. We highlight the most remarkable progress in the field since the 2021 update, formulating updated recommendations. These include enhancing disease registries and echocardiographic screening, advance research on host and streptococcal strains genetics, biomarkers, vaccines, pharmaceuticals and penicillin prophylaxis, accelerate the development of regional Centers of Excellence, promoting MV repair and the development of tissue-engineered valve substitutes.