Making a difference: 5 years of Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA).

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Developing Economies

Background:

• Significant unmet need for cardiac surgery in developing regions necessitates global collaboration.
• The Cape Town Declaration highlighted disparities in access to cardiac surgical care.
• The Cardiac Surgery Intersociety Alliance (CSIA) was formed to address this disparity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish and evaluate sustainable, local cardiac surgical capacity in low-income countries.
• To identify and support fledgling cardiac surgery programs through a needs assessment and proposal process.
• To improve access to essential cardiac surgical procedures in underserved populations.

Main Methods:

• Global needs assessment to identify prevalent pathologies, confirming rheumatic heart disease as a primary concern.
• Selection of Mozambique and Rwanda as pilot sites based on government and institutional support.
• Implementation of mentorship and training agreements, including virtual conferences and on-site support with a "assisting only" protocol.

Main Results:

• Successful establishment of cardiac surgery programs in Mozambique and Rwanda over five years.
• Demonstrated increase in case numbers, enhanced government commitment, and infrastructure upgrades in pilot sites.
• CSIA's "Seal of Approval" facilitated industry donations and negotiations with global donors for further funding.

Conclusions:

• The CSIA model effectively promotes sustainable cardiac surgery capacity building in developing countries.
• International collaboration and targeted mentorship are crucial for improving cardiac surgical care access.
• Expanding the CSIA Seal program can further strengthen global efforts in local cardiac surgery development.