CHDFNigeria
In commemoration of the Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week 2026, the Congenital Heart Disease Foundation of Nigeria hosted a thought-provoking webinar titled “CHD Care Globally: Care Disparities and Opportunities to Close the Gap” on Sunday, February 8th 2026. Two incredible health professionals brought much understanding to this topic: Dr Krishna Kumar, a Clinical Professor and Head of Department of Pediatric Cardiology at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences (AIMS) And Research Centre, Cochin, and Dr. Fenny Shindhika, a Consultant Pediatric and Congenital Cardiologist and Founder of Namibia National Children Health Trust and presidential health taskforce.
With insights from Dr. Krishna Kumar and Dr. Fenny Shindhika, the session focused on systems thinking, asking not just why children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are dying unnecessarily, but what practical steps can change the story.
Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common congenital anomaly worldwide. Yet survival still depends heavily on where a child is born. In high-income countries, advances in diagnosis and surgery have transformed health outcomes. In many African and other under-resourced regions, CHD patients face several barriers such as:
- Late diagnosis
- Long surgical waiting lists
- Severe workforce shortages
- Weak referral systems
- High out-of-pocket costs
- Limited political prioritisation
Dr. Fenny Shindhika challenged the terminology of “low-income countries,” preferring “under-resourced” or “emerging economies.” The issue, she emphasised, is not lack of potential but lack of political will, infrastructure, and data. One major barrier to progress is underrepresentation.
“We cannot project our needs to policymakers if we do not have the data.” – Dr. Fenny Shindhika
Across much of Africa, comprehensive CHD registries do not exist. Without electronic data systems and national repositories, the true burden remains hidden, and what is unseen is rarely funded. Every country must establish CHD registries to inform resource allocation and policy development.
She highlighted the deeper layers of access in Africa. The first is financial access: can families afford treatments? Second is geographic access: are services centralised in cities? Third is timeliness: are children presenting too late? The fourth is quality and safety: are structures and teams properly trained? The fifth is sustainability: are programs mission-based or system-based? No doubt, untreated CHD has ripple effects, such as loss of productivity, financial collapse of families, and national economic consequences. In her words “When you service a child, you service the future.”
Dr. Krishna Kumar dismantled a dangerous myth: that CHD mainly affects older children.
In reality, most deaths occur in the newborn and infant period. Many babies with critical heart defects die before their first birthday and often without diagnosis. As infant mortality from infections declines globally, CHD is climbing the ranks as a leading cause of death between one month and one year of age yet, access remains alarmingly low in under-resourced settings, sometimes below 5%.
He also posed an important question: What proportion of infants with CHD receive timely surgery? For much of Africa, the honest answer is uncomfortable. CHD care is not a single intervention. It is requires lifelong care:
- Screening (prenatal scans and pulse oximetry)
- Diagnosis (accessible echocardiography)
- Referral and stabilisation
- Safe transport systems
- Surgical and intensive care capacity
- Follow-up and long-term care
When any one link is weak, children are lost.
Dr. Kumar also shared how newborn screening programs in Kerala, India dramatically reduced late diagnoses, identifying most critical cases within the first day of life. The lesson, though often said? Early detection saves lives, but only if treatment capacity exists.
He also addressed several other misconceptions:
- CHD is rare.
- Outcomes in Africa can never match high-income countries.
- It is too expensive to attempt.
The truth remains that with cost-adapted models, strong coordination, and workforce development, outcomes can approach global standards, even in resource-constrained environments.
Both speakers emphasised that political commitment is the backbone of change.
CHD programs are resource-intensive. They require: government funding, national policies, regional pooling of resources, workforce development, quality improvement systems, ethical and team-based practice, and international partnerships. No single hospital or charity can do this alone. Much synergy and collaboration is required from healthcare institutions, charity organisations, professional bodies, universities, government, donors, etc. to run a successful CHD program.
For Nigeria and much of Africa, the urgency is clear:
- Infant mortality is increasing.
- CHD will become increasingly visible.
- Demand for pediatric cardiac care will rise sharply within the next decade.
Preparation cannot wait. If we build systems now – screening networks, training hubs or programs, centres of excellence, and data registries, we can close the gap before it widens further.
Beyond being an awareness and educational session, the webinar was a call to action: for governments to prioritise CHD in national health strategies, for clinicians to advocate, document, and collaborate, for donors and partners to invest in sustainable systems, not temporary missions, and for families and advocates to continue raising their voices.
Truly, where a child is born should not determine whether their heart keeps beating. We must continue to combine our advocacy efforts as a nation and as a continent and work towards equitable CHD care in Nigeria, across Africa, and globally.
