Document Type

Article

Publication Date

4-7-2025

Comments

This article is the author’s final published version in the Journal of the American Heart Association, Volume 14, Issue 8, April 2025, Article number e040003.

The published version is available at https://doi.org/10.1161/JAHA.124.040003. Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Abstract

Congenital heart disease is a leading cause of preventable death in children, with a disproportionate impact on low- and middle-income countries. Despite progress in treating congenital heart disease globally, significant challenges remain in accessing specialized cardiovascular care, particularly cardiac surgery, in low- and middle-income countries. This review examines current models of assistance and proposes a novel global training program to address these inequities. Key challenges identified include building program infrastructure, training health care providers, ensuring financial sustainability, and promoting local engagement. The proposed program, structured under a new international organization, will leverage emerging technologies to deliver accessible and rigorously assessed training in pediatric and congenital cardiac care. By collaborating with local experts and global partners, the program will promote access to education for various health care personnel involved in congenital heart disease care, establish credentialing standards, and foster global collaboration. This unified, scalable approach aims to bridge the health equity gap and accelerate progress toward comprehensive and sustainable cardiac care programs worldwide.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.

Language

English

PubMed ID

40194977

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