AUTHOR=Shimanda Panduleni Penipawa , Shiindi-Mbidi Tekla Shipahu Natangwe 
  
TITLE=Integrating equity and justice in rheumatic heart disease policy: addressing reproductive health challenges
  
JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health
  
VOLUME=Volume 71 - 2026
  
YEAR=2026
  
URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2026.1609283
  
DOI=10.3389/ijph.2026.1609283
  
ISSN=1661-8564
  
ABSTRACT=Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD), a preventable disease of poverty, disproportionately affects women of reproductive age, highlighting a crisis at the intersection of cardiac and reproductive health. Despite effective interventions, RHD remains neglected in policy priorities. This paper uses the case of reproductive health dilemmas to demonstrate the need for the application of equity frameworks. We analyse how consequentialist, communitarian, and feminist principles can guide policymakers toward more effective and just interventions. The paper proposes a community-based model, justified through this ethical lens, and calls for policies prioritising equity to finally address RHD’s preventable burden.