Children's Heart- LIFE-SAVING CARDIAC SURGERY

To save children with serious heart defects, born in developing Countries and to enablelocal hospitals to be autonomous, through capacity building and training by volunteer doctors who work alongside local doctors: this is the ambituous goal of our Children Heart programm.

And this is particular challenging in this period completely focused on the treatment and takle of Coivd 19 pandemic. 

Congenital Heart Defects (CHD) is the most common cause of major congenital anomalies, representing a major global health problem.

An estimated 1 million children is born every year affected by heart diseases .

In developed countries, congenital heart disease is easily diagnosed (even prenatally) and successfully treated, with pediatric cardiac surgery if necessary.

In developing countries are oftenlacking prepared medical staff and adequate health facilities. Years can go by just to obtain a correct diagnosis.

Significant Data

• 50% of children born with severe heart conditions are at a greater risk of death if not treated in the first years of their life; others face serious development problems.
• The differences in mortality rate between the industrialized countries and developing countries are striking, from 3-7% to 20% respectively.
• Strong differences in the availability of congenital heart surgeons across the world: 1 for 3,500,000 individuals in North America and Europe, 1:25,000,000 in Asia and 1:38,000,000 in Africa.
• The «Children’s Heart» Program aimsatreducing the mortality rate in developing countries of children affected by congenital or rheumatic heart diseases, with particular attention to the lessprivileged population. 

  in Myanmar, cardiac surgery was supported at the Yankin Children Hospital for 30 children with congenital heart defect;

   

  in Nepal, Mission Bambini financed the travel cost to Kathmandu for 20 children awaiting surgery, as well as room and board for the caregiver, for the entire duration of the hospital stay.

  We also supported a medical camp of cardiological screening.

   

  in Zimbabwe, we have supported the follow-up for about 70 children operated on in the past years, to constantly monitor drug therapy.

   

  in Uganda, Mission Bambini supported the consumables cost for the heart surgery of 10 young patients.

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  üin Italy, we supported the reception of 2 children from Albania, to be surgically treated at the Niguarda Hospital in Milan.