A Treatable Condition and a Preventable Tragedy
Every year, thousands of Afghan children are born with congenital heart disease, a condition that is often treatable with timely diagnosis and care. In many parts of the world, children with CHD grow up to live healthy and productive lives. In Afghanistan, however, far too many children never get that chance.
This is not because treatment does not exist, but because access does.
What Is Congenital Heart Disease?
Congenital heart disease refers to structural problems in the heart that are present at birth and affect how blood flows through the heart and the rest of the body. Globally, CHD is one of the most common birth conditions, affecting approximately eight to twelve per one thousand live births.
With early diagnosis and proper treatment, survival rates in well-resourced health systems exceed eighty-five to ninety percent. Unfortunately, these outcomes remain out of reach for many children born in fragile and conflict-affected settings such as Afghanistan.
The Reality in Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s health system has been weakened by decades of conflict, chronic underfunding, and instability. Many births still take place at home, and routine newborn screening is uncommon. As a result, countless children with congenital heart disease are never diagnosed or are diagnosed too late.
Even when CHD is identified, families face major barriers to care. These include shortages of pediatric cardiologists, limited diagnostic equipment outside major cities, weak referral systems, and high travel and treatment costs. For many families, these barriers are simply impossible to overcome.
Progress That Proved Change Is Possible
A major shift began in 2008, when the Afghan Red Crescent Society launched Afghanistan’s first structured congenital heart disease program. This initiative marked a turning point in humanitarian health care for children with heart disease.
Through nationwide screening efforts and referral pathways, including partnerships with the French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children, life-saving cardiac care became possible inside Afghanistan for selected cases.
Since then, approximately thirty-four thousand children with congenital heart disease have been registered through humanitarian programs, and around seventeen thousand children have received life-saving treatment either within Afghanistan or through referral abroad. These achievements proved that even in the most challenging contexts, coordinated humanitarian action can save lives.
A Growing Crisis After 2021
Despite earlier progress, access to congenital heart disease care has sharply declined since 2021. The loss of skilled healthcare workers, funding disruptions, and reduced international support have severely weakened diagnostic and treatment pathways. Estimates suggest that sixty to seventy percent of the health workforce has been lost due to migration and system collapse.
Today, many children wait months or years for surgery. A significant proportion of children with complex congenital heart disease die while on waiting lists, not because their condition is untreatable, but because care is unavailable. At the same time, worsening poverty and food insecurity continue to increase health risks for mothers and children.
Our Response
The HERO Foundation is committed to addressing congenital heart disease in Afghanistan through a comprehensive and life-saving approach. Our work focuses on early detection and referral, support for diagnosis and treatment, partnerships with specialized cardiac centers, and advocacy to ensure that CHD remains a global humanitarian priority.
We believe that every child deserves a fair chance at life, regardless of where they are born.
A Call to Action
Congenital heart disease is treatable. Afghanistan’s experience has already shown that progress is possible when humanitarian leadership, medical expertise, and international partnership come together.
What is urgently needed now is renewed global commitment to protect past gains and prevent thousands of avoidable child deaths. Together, we can turn knowledge into action and give Afghan children living with congenital heart disease the future they deserve.
Sources and References
World Health Organization
Afghan Red Crescent Society
French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children
The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health
Journal of the American College of Cardiology
International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
