Heart disease is the number one killer of women, claiming a female life every minute. Yet it is often seen as a “man’s disease.” This disparity is magnified in sub-Saharan Africa, where we have recently conducted an investigation into the experiences of women living with rheumatic heart disease.

Happy World Heart Day! On this day and every day, people are at the heart of the RHD community: both those living with the disease and the health workers who care for them. On World Heart Day this year we would like to take the opportunity to amplify some of their stories which they have shared with us over the last few years with the aim of raising awareness of rheumatic heart disease

The first round of the RHD Action Small Grants Programme was a huge success last year and we are happy to offer a second year of the Programme thanks to generous support from Medtronic Foundation.

An article published this month in Medical Anthropology - a peer-reviewed journal publishing cross-cultural studies in Health and Illness- reports on research that blended the disciplines of Public Health and Sociolinguistics around the topic of rheumatic fever (RF).