Overview of the foundation’s history. 

The foundation started out as an awareness group which the founder named CHD Nigeria. This was born out of her passion for paediatric cardiology and congenital heart diseases (CHDs) as she enjoyed reading research, articles, journals and following social media pages on the same topic.  In 2019, she realized the paucity of data on CHDs in Nigeria, hence thought to carry out research on the burden of CHDs in southwest Nigeria. She realized that it was a daunting task, hence took another turn. In 2020, she researched (unpublish) into the pattern and presentation of congenital heart disease treated in Tristate Heart and Vascular Centre, Ogun state between October 2015 and September 2020. The vision bearer who at that time worked in the same hospital as a cardiac ICU Nurse conducted a mini study/surveillance on the burden of CHDs on families; and factors influencing their health seeking behaviour. Her findings made her level up CHD Nigeria, from a mere awareness group to a foundation with the support and help of colleagues and heart parents. 

The Congenital Heart Disease Foundation of Nigeria (CHDFNigeria) was launched on 27^th of September 2020, as the founder celebrated her 27^th birthday.  Registration of the foundation with the Corporate Affairs Commission of Nigeria was completed July the following year after scaling through various set back related to the name of the foundation. The CHDFNigeria founding clinical members are indeed happy to be able to have taken this bold step to contribute back to the society whilst they care for their patients. 

Vision Statement 

To become the leading charity group supporting the CHDs cause in Nigeria. 

 Mission statement 

To create a paradigm shift in the status of congenital heart disease in Nigeria through awareness campaign and advocacy, support, education, and research promotion.    

 Core Values 

C -Collaboration 

A -Accountability 

R -Respect 

E -Empathy 

R -Research and Innovation 

S -Selflessness 

 Objectives : 

• To promote early identification of CHDs in Nigeria, thereby reducing child mortality rate due to CHDs in Nigeria. 
• To create a CHD community where warriors and families find support and encouragement in their CHD journey.  
• To help reduce the financial burden caused by Congenital Heart Defects on low-income families in Nigeria. 
• To fill the vacuum between health care system and the public on CHD-related matters. 
• To support the clinical training of healthcare practitioners  

 Goals : 

• Sponsor at least 3-5 OHS cases monthly in public/private cardiac facilities bearing at least 50% cost of surgery until we can organize mission surgery. 
• See to development and implementation of health policies that positively impact children with CHDs, especially the complex anomalies. 
• Introduce sustainable CHDs preventive medicine including foetal echocardiography, and counselling, genetic testing in Nigeria. 
• To have a CHDs database for heart warriors in Nigeria. 
• Sponsor and expose at least 2 health care personnel passionate about CHD progress in Nigeria to cardiac specialist programs yearly. 

Who do we serve? 

CHD warriors (people who have been diagnosed of congenital heart disease/defect) and their families 

The general public who needs information about heart related matters 

Health care professionals practicing in the cardiac field or those interested in advancing their cardiac/ cardiology knowledge. 

 Why do we serve?

We have felt the burden of Congenital Heart Disease/Defect on warriors, their families, the Nigeria’s healthcare system and the economy and therefore want to be the intermediary who stands between these ends to change the status of CHD positively. 

The paucity of data on congenital heart disease makes it impossible to evidently advocate for warriors, however, been HCP ourselves, who have cared for these children over the last 5 years, we have felt the urgency now than ever to help reduce the child mortality rate due to CHD and give heart warriors the opportunities which they truly deserve, like their counterparts in the developed world. 

Increased child mortality due to CHD.  

CHD is said to affect 1 in every 100 children. With only about 5-10 hospitals in Nigeria performing interventional/ lifesaving procedures and open-heart surgery for this population, the highest number of cases per year not meeting up with the number of children born and living with CHD. This is inarguably contributing to increased child mortality and morbidity.   We hope to create the need for government to equip hospitals and health care centers, to provide international standard cardiac services in Nigeria. 

Often, affected families have to sell their valuables and some go by themselves begging for help makes the founder feel like these people need advocates who will take responsibilities for them, hence CHDFNigeria. 

 We have identified also that very few health care personnels are trained in invasive cardiology in Nigeria, there’s need to have skillful cardiac nurses, sonographer, radiologist, respiratory therapist, physiotherapist, surgeons etc. who will in turn help improve surgical outcome in the country. CHDFNigeria is here to support HCPs who are passionate about this field but lack resources.