CHANGING THE MAP OF CONGENITAL HEART DISEASE PATIENTS SERVICE IN EGYPT AND BEYOND: 25 YEARS OF INTERNAL CHARITABLE OUTREACH

Background: Congenital heart disease is a global health problem that disproportionately affects patients from low-income areas. In some developing countries, the ratio of cardiac surgeons to the population is a staggering 1:38 million. The role of internal charitable outreach services is necessary to bridge this gap in patients care. We assessed 25 years of charitable initiative of internal missions and surgeries conducted by the Egyptian Society for Congenital Disease, from 1996 to 2019 in Egypt, and other areas throughout Africa and the Middle East. The method adopted, involved training local doctors and nurses alongside direct medical service to patients, so that once missions ceased, a functional, reliable, and trusted health care service was left in place. Result: A total of 3910 cases were examined in the time period from July 1996 to Aprip 2019. A total of 1040 patients underwent surgical interventions which started in May 2002. With collaborative efforts of other NGOs, the longevity of the missions was maintained, and reach expanded to several Egyptian governorates and beyond. Through these internal missions, we were able to survey the pervasiveness of congenital heart disease in areas that otherwise were once inaccessible to health care, and through years of advocacy for these patients we have successfully transformed the natural history of congenital heart disease in these areas. These areas are nowadays hubs for the treatment and care of congenital heart disease in Egypt.