Save a child's heart: we can and we should.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Pediatric Cardiology
• International Medical Cooperation

Background:

• Congenital heart disease (CHD) poses a significant mortality risk for children in developing nations.
• The Wolfson Medical Center (WMC) initiated a program to address this critical healthcare gap.
• Limited access to specialized care and high costs hinder effective treatment for pediatric CHD in underserved regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish sustainable, hospital-based regional centers for pediatric congenital heart disease care in developing countries.
• To provide specialized training for local medical personnel in partner nations.
• To offer direct medical and surgical treatment for children with CHD at WMC and abroad when local options are unavailable or unaffordable.

Main Methods:

• Collaboration with international partners to refer indigent children for treatment and training.
• Conducting medical missions for patient evaluation, surgical procedures, and local capacity building.
• Utilizing volunteer medical staff and community support to deliver care within existing salary structures.

Main Results:

• Established seven partner sites across six countries: China, Ethiopia, Moldova, Nigeria, Palestinian Authority, and Tanzania.
• Trained 15 medical professionals (5 physicians, 10 nurses) from five countries.
• Performed 386 surgeries (360 at WMC, 26 abroad) with a 4.3% acute mortality rate and 92% follow-up completion.

Conclusions:

• Hospital-based regional centers are feasible for improving pediatric CHD care in developing countries.
• Effective planning enables the delivery of high-quality surgical outcomes and follow-up care.
• International collaboration and training are key to building sustainable pediatric cardiac programs globally.