Workshop Detail

Early Detection of CHD in Children: A Critical Step Toward Healing Little Hearts

Shahjahanpur, Meerut – February 18, 2025

This Tuesday, under the cloudy skies of Shahjahanpur almost 280 people gathered to learn about an ailment that afflicts one in hundred people in India: congenital heart disease (CHD). Organized by the Child Heart Foundation (CHF) in collaboration with Gail Gas India, the event aimed to educate community members and frontline workers, including over 50 ASHA, ANM, and Anganwadi personnel, regarding signs and symptoms of CHD and heart murmurs—and the critical importance of early detection and management of CHD in children eighteen and under. In attendance were dignitaries Dr. Faiyaz Khan, D.U.M, Dr. Mohd Yusuf Khan, B.U.M.S, Dr. Zafar Ullah Khan B.U.M.S, Sameena Khan, lead coordinator at Anganwadi, and Samar Jahan, lead coordinator at ASHA.

The event commenced with presentations by Kiran Pandey and Vinod Kumar, Program Leads at CHF, and Md. Yusuf, Project Coordinator at CHF, who underscored the importance of community health workers as the first line of defense in the battle against CHD. The first point of contact for pregnant mothers and parents, frontline workers play a vital role in early intervention in CHD cases. By identifying clinical presentations of CHD, performing physical examinations, stabilizing newborns and infants with acute cardiac issues, and referring families to specialized cardiac centers, frontline workers enable timely detection and treatment, improving survival rates for children with serious CHD.

Following the Community Awareness session, nearly 230 children were examined and screened for CHD through CHF’s Medical Camp. Doctors Vidyarani Chanu and Dayaljeet Singh flagged nine cases suspected of heart-related issues, two of which were previously diagnosed with CHD.

The program concluded with testimonies from families with children that successfully combated CHD. The stories of young fighters Shidra, 5-year-old Shifa, and 12-year-old Shifa, who received early intervention for CHD and are now healthy and thriving, exemplifies the potential of CHF’s triangulated, community-based care model in reaching the last mile of health care delivery. By empowering local health care workers with knowledge of the CHD diagnosis criteria and building support and referral networks to ensure a continuum of care, we have the best chance of expanding affordable and efficacious treatment to every child with CHD.

See press coverage of CHF’s Awareness Program event here and here.

---

About Child Heart Foundation:
The Child Heart Foundation (CHF) is dedicated to reducing mortality rates and long-term health complications associated with congenital heart disease (CHD) by promoting early detection and diagnosis of heart defects, increasing access to high-end pediatric cardiac healthcare, and supporting families from vulnerable communities at all stages of treatment and recovery. CHF works with healthcare professionals and community workers to seed a sustainable healthcare ecosystem where every child with CHD receives the care they need for a healthy, happy, and bright future.

For more information about the Child Heart Foundation and ways to support our work, please visit www.childheartfoundation.org.

Contact:
Child Heart Foundation
Email: Connect@childheartfoundation.com
Phone: +91 91 977 374 4848, +91 999 914 2268, +91 966 760 8855, 01140519163

###