The challenge of pediatric cardiac services in the developing world.
Pediatric cardiac services are too expensive for most developing nations. Problems other than cardiac disease take priority when it comes to budget allocations. Poor health infrastructure and referral systems, malnutrition, and the HIV/AIDS pandemic aggravate the situation, and the increasing economic divide is threatening what services do exist. We highlight how the practice of pediatric cardiac surgery in South Africa compares with first-world standards and outline some of the problems faced by pediatric cardiac services in developing nations.
Hewitson
John
J
Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Cape Town and Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, South Africa.
Brink
Johan
J
Zilla
Peter
P
D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards*; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003906:Developing Countries; D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000191:economics* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors