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(Circulation. 2007;116:1876-1878.)
© 2007 American Heart Association, Inc.

Editorial

Establishing Pediatric Cardiovascular Services in the Developing World

A Wake-Up Call

Magdi H. Yacoub, FRS

From the Chain of Hope UK, London, United Kingdom.

Correspondence to Sir Magdi Yacoub, FRS, Founder and President, Chain of Hope UK, South Parade, Chelsea, London, SW3 6NP, UK. E-mail m.yacoub@imperial.ac.uk

Key Words: Editorials • cardiomyopathy • epidemiology • heart defects, congenital • rheumatic heart disease

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

	Introduction

 
There is increasing realization that the lack of facilities for sustainable pediatric cardiac services in the developing world results in a massive number of preventable deaths and suffering. It is estimated that 15 million children die or are crippled annually by potentially treatable or preventable cardiac diseases. Ignored for a long time, this issue is starting to be a cause of major concern to individuals, governments, and, most importantly, cardiovascular specialists who can appreciate the gravity of the problem and that the current situation is unacceptable. What then can be done to alleviate the problem, by whom, and how? In this issue of Circulation, Larrazabal et al describe the pioneering efforts of Castenada and his colleagues in Guatemala.¹ This should act as a model and a source of inspiration in this field. This editorial is an attempt to outline some of the issues that relate to the problem, such as estimates of its size, and explores potential, long-lasting solutions.

Article p 1882

	Size of the Problem

 
The pediatric population constitutes a larger proportion of the community in developing countries, with 40% of individuals <18 years old in some countries. Children in developing countries have a significantly higher incidence and prevalence of serious cardiac diseases.² This is contributed to by a variety of factors that include a lack of early correction of congenital cardiac abnormalities that results in accumulation of a large number of children with uncorrected anomalies who survive the neonatal period. In addition, many of these children develop more rapid deterioration in . . . [Full Text of this Article]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				E. Z. Soliman Letter by Soliman Regarding Article, "Improvement in Congenital Heart Surgery in a Developing Country: The Guatemalan Experience" Circulation, July 29, 2008; 118(5): e97 - e97. [Full Text] [PDF]