Fondazione Mission Bambini ETS, founded in 2000, is an Italian nonprofit dedicated to improving the health and education of children in vulnerable circumstances worldwide. The foundation addresses barriers to pediatric care through efforts like its Children’s Heart Program, which has provided life-saving cardiac surgeries while reinforcing local health systems since 2005. Its integrated approach combines direct medical interventions with capacity building to ensure sustainable improvements in children’s health and education.
An SNF grant supports the Children’s Heart Zambia project as part of Mission Bambini’s longstanding Children’s Heart Program. This initiative expands access to vital cardiac care for children with congenital and rheumatic heart diseases at Zambia’s National Heart Hospital, the sole pediatric cardiac surgery center in the country. Addressing the rising burden of noncommunicable diseases in Zambia, the project employs a three-pronged strategy: life-saving surgical missions, community-based rheumatic heart disease screening and prevention, and continuous training of local medical staff. Capacity building is central, encompassing hands-on coaching during surgeries and extended fellowships at Italy’s International Heart School in Bergamo, fostering sustainable local expertise and improving long-term patient outcomes.