Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
Children’s HeartLink (CHL) has made significant strides in pediatric cardiac care through its blended learning model, establishing seven Centers of Excellence in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia, and Vietnam. Additionally, 16 partners are in training to become Centers of Excellence. Medical volunteer teams from the U.S., U.K., and Canada have contributed over 5,100 hours to support these efforts. In the last year, CHL and its partners reached 196,000 children born with congenital heart disease (CHD) by providing more than 149 virtual and in-person training programs to over 4,800 clinicians.
Current Goals
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital defect, affecting 1 in 100 births and leading to significant mortality in individuals under 20 globally. The largest disparities in infant mortality and access to care are in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where specialized medical teams are limited, resulting in long waitlists for surgeries.
Children’s HeartLink (CHL) aims to ensure all children have access to high-quality heart care and equitable health systems. To achieve this, CHL focuses on training clinicians in LMICs, advocating with governments to expand the healthcare workforce, and ensuring affordable healthcare for families affected by CHD. CHL's strategy includes forming long-term partnerships with hospitals and leveraging medical volunteer teams for training. The goal is for partner hospitals to become Centers of Excellence, providing sustainable, high-quality care and serving as regional trainers.
In the next year, CHL aims to reach 200,000 children by training over 3,500 clinicians and performing more than 16,000 surgeries. To achieve this, CHL plans to add one or two Centers of Excellence and host two national advocacy consultations in 2025.
CHL's 2025 work plan prioritizes raising flexible funding, strengthening partnerships with volunteer medical teams, and enhancing clinical education and engagement with hospital partners. This includes providing more mentorship and sponsorship opportunities for the local health workforce.
CHL is also exploring partnerships in African countries, aiming to adapt its hybrid training model to serve low-income, lower-resourced environments effectively through a three-year capacity-building effort.
Community or Constituency Served
Children's HeartLink serves children and families facing congenital heart disease living in low-resourced, low- and middle-income countries including, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Geographic Area Served
Children's HeartLink partners with hospitals in heavily populated regions, resulting in the most impact for the greatest number of children. We work in Bangladesh, Brazil, China, India, Malaysia and Vietnam, countries that are home to almost 40 percent of the world’s population.
