Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Toyin Saraki

The Founder-President of the Wellbeing Foundation Africa, Toyin Saraki, alongside global advocates, have concluded plans to address Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), a deadly, but preventable ailment that affects women and children living below the poverty line in many developing countries.

 

Speaking at the launch of RHDAction, facilitated by the Rheumatic Heart Disease Action Alliance and scheduled to coincide with World Heart Day, Mrs. Saraki stated that, “as a maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) advocate, the link between RHD and MNCH is troubling. More than 1 in 5 maternal deaths in developing countries are from indirect causes, most commonly, the exacerbation of pre-existing medical conditions like RHD. Women with heart valves damaged by RHD are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery.

 

 

She further said that: “During late pregnancy, the blood volume increases and a woman’s heart beat rises. This extra pressure on the heart, for women, with RHD, can put them at risk of heart failure and arrhythmias – the symptoms of which are easily confused with late pregnancy: breathlessness, fatigue, heart murmurs and swelling. Yet, left undiagnosed, catastrophic cardiovascular collapse can lead to maternal death.”

 

Referring to the disease as a “silent emergency”, to be taken out of the shadows of healthcare, Saraki, who serves as the Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Confederation of Midwives and the Save the Children Nigeria National Newborn Champion, shared the innovative ways the Wellbeing Foundation Africa would be working to end RHD, through the Foundation’s Maternal Monday advocacy campaign.

 

By: Akor Ejumene 

Daily Times