RHD is a major public health problem and is the most common acquired cardiovascular disease in children and young adults in developing countries. Professor Mayosi, working through PASCAR and with support from the World Heart Federation, has spearheaded the development of the ASAP programme, a comprehensive approach to RHD prevention and control adapted to the needs and realities of health systems in Africa.

Listen to the interview featuring Professor Mayosi on the BBC World Service Health Check programme >

We congratulate the BBC for bringing attention to this neglected disease of poverty and helping us to mobilize global support needed to find practical and cost-effective solutions.

Learn more about Rheumatic Heart Disease >

The call for proposals comes as a direct response to the devastating effects of a rapidly increasing epidemic of chronic disease. Chronic non-communicable diseases are becoming more and more prevalent across the world and were announced in 2008 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to be the number one cause of death.

The MRC's collaboration with ICMR is a vital partnership designed to develop world-leading collaborative research. It will enable the best minds, ideas and resources from the UK and India to be brought together to answer important, challenging research goals.

Proposals are invited from partnerships between academic groups based in India and the UK.

Click on this link for more information on the key issues your proposal should address, details of the funding on offer and application and eligibility criteria or email icmr-mrccall(at)headoffice.mrc.ac.uk

The submission deadline for Letters of Intent will be 21 October 2010 at 12.30 British Summer Time for UK applicants and 17.00 Indian Standard Time for Indian applicants.

Click here >

Read the full details and download the announcement >