This project will fund pediatric surgical missions to Latin America. Since 2014 Surgeons of Hope has been committed to higher standards of pediatric heart care in Latin America. We have partnered with Hospital Nacional de Ninos(HNN) in San Jose to strengthen their pediatric cardiovascular program. Since the start of our partnership with HNN,1500 children have received life-saving heart surgery. We recently started a partnership with the Hospital Pediatrico "Ninos de Acosta Nu" in Paraguay.

Challenge

In Latin America heart disease and congenital heart defects are a leading cause of death among children. In the U.S. and Europe, pediatric heart conditions are corrected routinely. The children's hospitals in San Jose and San Lorenzo (Paraguay) needed our help to improve their operations and to curb the unacceptable rate of infant mortality. Since 2014, our medical teams have collaborated with local Latin American teams to create lasting progress.

Long-Term Impact

Each collaborative surgical training mission is planned to help HNN boost skills, secure reductions in mortality rates, and address a surgical waiting list on which delay only worsens the child's condition. Looking to the future, SoH expects to create a network of cooperating children's hospitals throughout Central and South America. This network will share training and consultation, linked with centers in the U.S. for secure and lasting progress.

References

1. http://surgeonsofhope.org/
2. http://www.surgeonsofhope.org

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