CFACH Medical Missions

At Care For A Child’s Heart (CFACH), our medical missions bring together international and local experts to provide vital cardiac surgeries for children suffering from congenital heart defects (CHD) in Kenya. Each year, CFACH organizes four major medical missions, partnering with hospitals like Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital and Kenyatta National Hospital.

In 2023, CFACH successfully performed 72 life-saving surgeries during our mission trips, marking a record high for the organization. Our medical missions also facilitated over 200 clinical reviews, provided essential medication to 35 children, and hosted 70 families at the CFACH Family Support Center. These accomplishments reflect our growing capacity and impact, as we strive to address the urgent medical needs of children with heart conditions.

Looking ahead to 2024, CFACH is on track to perform over 100 surgeries, further expanding our reach and saving more lives than ever before. With the help of our dedicated team of global volunteers and local healthcare professionals, we aim to continue increasing the number of surgeries and enhancing local healthcare capacity. Each mission not only provides immediate relief but also contributes to the long-term development of pediatric cardiac care in Kenya.

How Our Medical Missions Work

Each stage of the mission is designed to ensure that children receive the highest standard of cardiac care, while empowering local healthcare teams to sustain this impact.

Global Collaboration

CFACH's medical missions are powered by volunteer clinicians from around the world, including pediatric cardiac surgeons, anesthetists, cardiologists, and nurses. These professionals work alongside local healthcare teams, sharing their skills and expertise while performing surgeries. This collaboration not only saves lives but also enhances the capacity of Kenyan hospitals to manage pediatric heart conditions independently.

Patient Selection & Preparation

Before each mission, CFACH partners with local doctors to identify children in need of surgery through rigorous screening and diagnostic processes. Patients are selected based on the urgency and complexity of their heart defects. CFACH covers all associated costs, including diagnostics, travel, and accommodation for families.

Life-Saving Surgeries

During each mission, the medical teams perform complex heart surgeries using cutting-edge techniques. In a typical mission, over 40 surgeries can be conducted in just a few weeks, transforming the lives of children who would otherwise have limited access to this level of care.

Capacity Building

One of the key goals of CFACH missions is to strengthen the local healthcare infrastructure. International volunteers provide hands-on training to Kenyan doctors, nurses, and technicians, ensuring that the knowledge and skills remain long after the mission ends. This sustainable approach enables local teams to eventually perform surgeries independently.

Follow-Up Care

CFACH is committed to long-term outcomes. After surgery, children receive follow-up care and medications, ensuring their recovery is successful. Families are also provided with accommodation at the CFACH Family Support Center during and after treatment.

Medical Missions and Capacity Building

Our work relies heavily on the contributions of international medical mission teams. In collaboration with volunteer surgeons, anaesthesiologists and perfusionists from Italy, Saudi Arabia, India and the United States, CFACH organizes mission trips during which up to 2-3 surgeries are performed each day.

These missions are supported by organizations like the Emirates Airlines Foundation, which generously provides airfare for medical teams, and partners like Medtronics, Medical Bridges and Nuvance Health who donate essential medical supplies. Each mission requires intensive ICU monitoring and postoperative care, provided by trained Kenyan nurses and intendivists, whose skills have been enhanced through CFACH-led training programs. 

We have also been fortunate to receive donations of state-of-the-art medical equipment, which has significantly upgraded the quality of care available in Kenya. Through this work, we are helping to build sustainable medical capacity, training local healthcare professionals, and conducting research that will contribute to better outcomes for children with heart defects.

Volunteer with us

If you're a medical professional eager to make a difference, we welcome you to join our mission. Our volunteers find the experience deeply rewarding, as they help save lives while contributing to the long-term development of cardiac care in Kenya.

Together, we can create a brighter future for children. Volunteer with us!

To apply for a volunteer position with CFACH, please fill out the corresponding Google Form provided below. If you have any questions or require further information, please feel free to email us at info@cfach.org or call us on+254786306415.