The Challenge
Worldwide, over a million children are born with congenital heart disease every year. Millions more are affected by rheumatic heart disease. While most heart defects can now be corrected or improved, children living in developing countries are routinely denied life-saving cardiac surgery because of their place of birth.
The Global Impact of Congenital Heart Disease
Approximately 1% of children are born with congenital heart disease, the most common type of birth defect
Children born with severe congenital heart disease have a 12 times higher risk of mortality in the first year of life
25% of neonatal deaths from birth defects are due to severe congenital heart disease
The Global Impact of Rheumatic Heart Disease
Developing countries are disproportionately impacted by rheumatic heart disease due to socioeconomic factors, such as poor living conditions and access to health care.
2/3
of patients are children between the ages of 5 and 15
Rheumatic heart disease is a major cause of premature death and morbidity in low income countries
