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In this blog series, we will be featuring projects that have received funding from the\u00a0<\/span>Faculty\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>Social Responsibility\u00a0<\/span>Funding Call<\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span>The fund supports projects and initiatives aligned with the\u00a0<\/span>Faculty\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0five Social Responsibility (SR) and Civic Engagement priorities: Equality,\u00a0<\/span>Diversity<\/span>\u00a0and Inclusion (EDI), Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE), Local and Global Health Challenges (GH), Partner-Enabled Learning (<\/span>PE<\/span>L<\/span>)<\/span>\u00a0and Environmental Sustainability (ES).<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n Our latest blog in this series features\u00a0a PPIE project\u00a0exploring\u00a0the role of\u00a0Community-based Rehabilitation (CobReh)\u00a0in heart disease and depression in Nigeria. The project was co-led by\u00a0Dr Dung\u00a0Jidong, Clinical Psychologist and Professor Nusrat Husain, Cultural Psychiatrist.\u00a0<\/i>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n While there is growing awareness around the prevalence of heart disease and depression, the two conditions occur together more often than people realise:\u00a0about 1 in 5 people<\/a>\u00a0with coronary heart disease (CHD) also suffers from\u00a0a\u00a0major depressive disorder.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to the\u00a0World Health Organisation (WHO)<\/a>, a key treatment to these health issues is rehabilitation,\u00a0which typically involves a range of activities,\u00a0medicine\u00a0and training to restore one\u2019s health following a period of illness.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Unfortunately, more than 50% of people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)\u00a0are not receiving\u00a0the rehabilitation they need.\u00a0In Nigeria,\u00a0community-based rehabilitation (CobReh) services, including education, exercise and psychological support, are\u00a0virtually absent, leading to increased death rates, more hospital\u00a0admissions\u00a0and\u00a0lower quality of life.\u00a0<\/p>\n Recognising this,\u00a0Dr Dung\u00a0Jidong<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Prof Nusrat Husain<\/a>\u00a0set out to develop a relevant and accessible\u00a0CobReh\u00a0programme\u00a0that can address the significant gaps in healthcare in LMICs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n To begin,\u00a0they\u00a0proposed a PPIE event that would bring together\u00a0a group of stakeholders that all play a part in meeting the health and socioeconomic needs of people experiencing both heart diseases and mental health\u00a0conditions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n By gathering\u00a0patients, carers, researchers, community members, clinicians, community leaders, and healthcare policymakers, the event aims to explore the following questions:\u00a0<\/p>\n Following\u00a0Dung and Nusrat\u2019s\u00a0successful application for the SR Funding Call,\u00a0along with support from the\u00a0Centre in Africa for Living and Learning,<\/a>\u00a0the\u00a0PPIE\u00a0event was hosted\u00a0at the\u00a0Federal Medical Centre (FMC)<\/a>\u00a0in Abuja, Nigeria\u00a0on 23 June 2025.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The team\u00a0was\u00a0able to gather valuable insights on why a\u00a0CobReh\u00a0programme\u00a0designed\u00a0for Nigeria\u2019s medical,\u00a0cultural\u00a0and emotional context is so necessary. Several participants expressed confusion and uncertainty surrounding their conditions, highlighting the need for collaboration:\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCan someone with heart disease and depression really recover?\u201d<\/i>\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c[I was worrying too much] I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0know the problem was heart disease\u2026 You people will teach us because we are not doctors\u201d<\/i>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Some patients\u00a0also\u00a0spoke about the role of religion and belief in shaping their experiences, while others shared the stigma of being labelled an \u2018ogbanje\u2019\u00a0<\/i>(evil person) because of their conditions.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Overall, the PPIE event\u00a0demonstrated\u00a0the value of giving key stakeholders a voice. Looking ahead, Dung\u00a0and Nusrat\u2019s team\u00a0is optimistic about conducting further research and co-developing a\u00a0CobReh\u00a0programme that truly reflects the\u00a0lived experiences,\u00a0concerns and needs\u00a0of heart disease and depression patients in LMICs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Additional\u00a0information:\u00a0<\/p>\n To find out more about PPIE: watch our\u202f<\/span>short film<\/span><\/a>, sign up to the monthly\u202f<\/span>Public Engagement Digest<\/span><\/a>, visit the\u202f<\/span>PPIE blog<\/span><\/a>, or contact\u00a0<\/span>srbmh@manchester.ac.uk<\/span><\/a>.\u202f\u202f\u202f\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n
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