title: Association of Children with Heart Disease in the World: 10-year experience.
abstract: Thousands of children live in developing countries with untreated but correctable congenital heart disease (CHD), and most of them will die simple because they live in poor countries that do not have suitable medical/surgical facilities. The aim of the Association of Children with Heart Disease in the World is to support the operatory and teaching activities of a group of voluntary doctors engaged in the management of children with CHD in developing countries. Since 1992, the association has obtained 160 grants for foreign doctors who have been trained in our hospitals; performed 75 missions abroad, with more than 2150 cases evaluated and 404 cardiac operations performed; obtained millions of dollars worth of donated medical equipment; and constructed two cardiac surgery departments in Syria and Cameroon. Many efforts have been made, but much more can be done as we attain more experience and develop better coordination and collaboration between the international groups engaged in this emerging social need.
authors.affiliation: Association of Children with Heart Disease in the World, Milan, Italy. alegia@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Giamberti
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mele
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Terlizzi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Abella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carminati
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cirri
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frigiola
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003906:Developing Countries; D014943:Global Health; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D012952:Societies