FAAYO Provides Psychosocial Support to People Living with Heart Disease in Rural Uganda

Katusiime Nuru is a mother of two, living with RHD in rural Wakiso District, Magudu Bussakya Village. Nuru was diagnosed with RHD in 2015 following chest pain, a discomfort she had felt for a long time. Nuru used herbal medications and painkillers to treat her pain.

One evening, Nuru was seated on a chair at home when she collapsed and was rushed to Kayunga Hospital. From there, she was referred to the Uganda Heart Institute in Kampala for treatment. Nuru’s condition did not improve until 2015, when she had a balloon valvuloplasty performed at the Uganda Heart Institute to repair her damaged heart valve. Since then, Nuru’s life has stabilized with minor health challenges.

Nuru lives with her children at her late mother’s home, where she inherited land when her mother passed. Nuru does small-scale crop farming as a source of income to enable her to take care of her children and her medical treatment. She grows maize, cassava, bananas, and green vegetables on her plot. However, due to a lack of capital and formal skills, she has low returns from the garden.

Just like many PLWRHD, Nuru’s financial challenges lead to poor treatment choices. For example, Nuru sometimes misses hospital appointments and skips her medication for some days to save money. She believes that social and financial factors are the essential contributors to the successful management of RHD for an individual. Nuru believes that if PLWRHD are empowered with improved vocational skills and supported economically, they can overcome many of their health challenges.

Empowering PLWRHDs who can act as patient role models drives healthy change for many.