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Over 1,300 Zimbabwean children die of heart diseases each year
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At least 1,300 Zimbabwean children die annually from congenital heart diseases due to limited access to life-saving surgeries, recent statistics have revealed.
Experts say approximately 4,000 children are born each year in Zimbabwe with congenital heart defects requiring open-heart surgery. However, only a fraction receive the necessary treatment, leading to a high mortality rate, particularly within the first year of life.
Specialist cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr. Simukayi Machawira this week highlighted the gravity of the situation during a medical camp at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare.
"So, if we look at the number of children born in a year, let us say 4,500 with congenital heart disease, 30% of these, which is about 1,300, will die within the first year because they have not been attended to. And the number increases as time goes on," said Dr. Machawira.
He stressed that for many of these children, delays in accessing treatment beyond the age of two significantly reduce their chances of recovery, as the disease would already have taken a heavy toll on their health.
Zimbabwe's public health sector has limited capacity to perform open-heart surgeries due to resource and personnel constraints. Most patients who require such procedures cannot afford treatment abroad, where costs can reach up to US$15,000.
Currently, the country also has a backlog of up to 600 adults suffering from rheumatic heart disease who require similar surgical interventions.
In a bid to reduce the burden, a team of Zimbabwean and Egyptian cardiac specialists successfully conducted free open-heart surgeries on 10 paediatric patients at Parirenyatwa Hospital during a week-long medical camp. This follows a similar initiative held last year.
Outside of these collaborative camps, Dr. Machawira noted that Parirenyatwa Hospital has performed around 55 open-heart surgeries between June 2023 and July 2025.
Zimbabwe continues to grapple with the challenge of offering affordable and accessible cardiac treatment, with medical professionals calling for greater investment in local capacity to save lives, particularly those of vulnerable children.
Experts say approximately 4,000 children are born each year in Zimbabwe with congenital heart defects requiring open-heart surgery. However, only a fraction receive the necessary treatment, leading to a high mortality rate, particularly within the first year of life.
Specialist cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon Dr. Simukayi Machawira this week highlighted the gravity of the situation during a medical camp at Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare.
"So, if we look at the number of children born in a year, let us say 4,500 with congenital heart disease, 30% of these, which is about 1,300, will die within the first year because they have not been attended to. And the number increases as time goes on," said Dr. Machawira.
He stressed that for many of these children, delays in accessing treatment beyond the age of two significantly reduce their chances of recovery, as the disease would already have taken a heavy toll on their health.
Zimbabwe's public health sector has limited capacity to perform open-heart surgeries due to resource and personnel constraints. Most patients who require such procedures cannot afford treatment abroad, where costs can reach up to US$15,000.
Currently, the country also has a backlog of up to 600 adults suffering from rheumatic heart disease who require similar surgical interventions.
In a bid to reduce the burden, a team of Zimbabwean and Egyptian cardiac specialists successfully conducted free open-heart surgeries on 10 paediatric patients at Parirenyatwa Hospital during a week-long medical camp. This follows a similar initiative held last year.
Outside of these collaborative camps, Dr. Machawira noted that Parirenyatwa Hospital has performed around 55 open-heart surgeries between June 2023 and July 2025.
Zimbabwe continues to grapple with the challenge of offering affordable and accessible cardiac treatment, with medical professionals calling for greater investment in local capacity to save lives, particularly those of vulnerable children.
Source - NewZimbabwe
