Children
from disadvantaged backgrounds will undergo life changing heart surgeries at the Karen Hospital through the Heart to Heart Foundation in 2017.
The surgeries will be funded through this year's
Heart to Heart Foundation Fundraising Gala Dinner.
Dan Gikonyo,
co-founder and cardiologist at the Karen Hospital, said the exercise is motivated by the desire to relieve families of financial and emotional burden that come with heart complications.
He said: "The foundation owes its success to the support and goodwill of individuals and corporations, the commitment of its founders, board members and the team of volunteer professionals,"
Gikonyo spoke
during this year’s Heart to Heart Foundation’s Annual Fundraising Gala Dinner on Friday.
Juliet Nyaga,
Heart to Heart’s Foundation executive director,
reiterated the foundation's commitment in supporting control, prevention and treatment of heart diseases in children in Kenya.
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In Kenya, most heart conditions among children are congenital and acquired, with adults suffering from coronary artery or rheumatic heart diseases.
There are approximately 200,000 new cases of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) and 10,000 cases of congenital heart disease in children annually.
Congenital heart disease results from a child being born with heart defects such as - a hole in the heart, while RHD results from untreated strep throat infection caused by streptococcal bacteria.
RHD causes damage to the heart valves, which if allowed to progress, may become fatal.
Lack of access to healthcare and financing play a role in the persistence of RHD in developing countries as cost of these surgeries range between to Sh450,000 to Sh1.5 Million.
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