Save a Child’s Heart Australia: Nominee for the Change-Maker Award for a Not-For-Profit or Charity Organisation, 2024 Africa Award

About the Nominee & their Nomination

In the vast tapestry of Africa, where medical resources are often stretched thin, Save a Child’s Heart Australia is weaving a story of hope, one tiny heart at a time.
Since 1995, this global humanitarian organisation has been on a mission to not just save lives, but to fundamentally transform paediatric cardiac care across the continent.

At its core, Save a Child’s Heart is about more than just performing life-saving heart surgeries. It’s about building a legacy of care that will continue to beat strong for generations to come. Their approach is twofold: treat children with heart conditions who would otherwise have no access to such care, and train local doctors to create sustainable, homegrown solutions.

The impact of their work is nothing short of remarkable:

• Over 2,300 African children’s lives saved, with more than 660 treated in their home countries
• Establishment of Paediatric Cardiac Centres of Excellence in Tanzania, Zambia, and Rwanda
• Training of an entire ecosystem of medical professionals, including paediatric cardiac surgeons, cardiologists, anaesthesiologists, and nurses

In Tanzania alone, Save a Child’s Heart has treated more than 1,000 children since 1999. But the real game-changer is the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute, a fully-staffed centre of excellence with a team trained entirely by Save a Child’s Heart. This includes a paediatric cardiac surgeon, four cardiologists, two anaesthesiologists, two intensive care specialists, and more – all local experts now serving their own communities.

The ripple effect of their work is spreading. In Zambia, a similar centre is taking shape at the National Heart Hospital, with a paediatric cardiac surgeon and various medical personnel trained by Save a Child’s Heart now working alongside the Tanzanian team on medical missions. Rwanda’s King Faisal Hospital now boasts the country’s first paediatric heart surgeon, Dr. Yayu Mekonnen, with three more specialists in the final stages of training. This centre isn’t just serving Rwanda; it’s becoming a hub for Sub-Saharan Africa, even treating children from Ethiopia.

What sets Save a Child’s Heart apart is their vision for self-sufficiency. They’re not just providing a temporary solution; they’re building capacity for African countries to care for their own children. Their goal in Rwanda, for instance, is to achieve self-sufficiency within 5-10 years.

The organisation’s reach extends beyond the operating theatre. By partnering with local governments and seeking support from energy and mineral resource companies, they’re addressing critical shortages in medical equipment and consumables. Every partnership, every piece of equipment, translates directly into more lives saved.

For the communities served by Save a Child’s Heart, the impact is profound.
Parents who once faced the unthinkable – watching their child suffer without hope – now have access to world-class care.
It’s not just about saving a life today; it’s about creating future generations.