Throughout the month of October, our partners in Mozambique organized a series of community outreach activities in the KaMavota neighbourhood of Maputo as part of the Colours to Save Hearts project. The goal of these activities was to raise awareness of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) among community leaders and support educational activities in the local school. Activities also focused on the prevention and treatment of RHD in the community, including in homes, markets, playgrounds and public bus stations. In total, 350 community leaders participated in the activities and gave their support for the project.
Mozambique has one of the highest rates of rheumatic heart disease among school-aged children in sub-Saharan Africa. The Colours to Save Hearts programme aims to raise awareness of rheumatic heart disease among children, teachers and parents, and educate them about the link between sore throat and rheumatic heart disease, how to recognise symptoms and what to do when they first appear.
