Join us in combating rheumatic heart disease, saving 300,000 lives annually through vital support and global action.
Katusiime Christine, Chairperson of the Uganda Heart Institute RHD Patient Support Group and Community Advisory Network representative for Reach, is leading powerful change in her community.
For the remainder of 2025 Christine will be working with a passionate team of RHD champions to organize a series of activities—including a wellness retreat designed for women and girls of reproductive age living with RHD. These efforts are raising awareness about reproductive health and rights, while empowering participants to take charge of their wellbeing.
Reach is supporting this initiative through funding and technical support. In the months ahead we look forward to sharing more pictures and participant stories which help us better understand and improve on support to women, girls and their carers with lived experience both in Uganda and other countries where we work.
RHD disproportionately affects girls and women, with an incidence rate twice as high as that in men and boys. It is also the leading cause of cardiac complications during pregnancy. Women with RHD face heightened risks, such as arrhythmias and heart failure, due to the increased blood volume during pregnancy which puts additional strain on their heart valves.
In the next two years Reach is intensifying its focus on gender-responsive approaches. Our efforts include setting specific gender-responsive targets and supporting partner countries such as Uganda and Namibia in implementing a twin-track strategy. This approach will integrate both mainstreamed and targeted interventions, addressing the needs of women and girls living with or at risk of RF/RHD.
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