The aim is to help countries establish their own treatment units.
The initiative has been launched in recognition of the fact that access to appropriate care for children born with congenital heart disease is not the same in all the 52 countries (located in Europe and around the Mediterranean) whose national cardiac societies are members of the ESC. While the majority offer adequate treatment for congenital heart disease (defined as a mean ratio of 1000 or more operations per million inhabitants) there are countries offering fewer than 100 operations per million. The project has been initiated by wives and partners of ESC Board members with the full endorsement of the Board.
“To me it's completely shocking to see first hand that in some countries represented by the ESC the only hope for a child born with congenital heart disease is treatment in another country - otherwise, they'll die," says Roberto Ferrari, President of the ESC.
The initial idea came from Claudia Florio Ferrari, who presented a short video of a recent mission to Damascus with Bambini Cardiopatici nel Mondo, an Italian aid organisation. In two days the team of doctors reviewed the cases of 52 children, operated on six, and referred three for specialist treatment in Italy.
Fund raising events for
European Heart for Children at ESC Congress 2009 include piggy banks spread around the exhibition area for donations, a lottery, silent auction and fund-raising merchandise sold at a booth manned by the Board members' partners.
Learn more about the European Heart for Children initiative here.