Sera Navuga 
[File Photo]
The growing crisis of pediatric heart disease in the Pacific has prompted a strong call for local solutions.
Speaking at the University of Fiji’s International Health Conference 2025 in Lautoka, Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital Director, Dr. Krupali Tappoo, says more must be done to save the lives of children born with heart defects across the region.
Dr. Tappoo highlights that congenital heart disease is becoming one of the most pressing health issues in the Pacific, with hundreds of children born each year without access to critical, life-saving surgery.
Dr. Krupali Tappoo
“They are the most common serious birth defects in the world. And more children die of congenital heart disease than from all childhood cancers combined. For some parents, it can be heartbreaking if they cannot afford surgery—or worse, if surgery isn’t even available—despite knowing that treatment exists.”
She says the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Hospital in Suva provides completely free, high-quality heart surgeries for children from Fiji and across the region.
Dr. Tappoo adds that the hospital’s mission is not only to heal, but also to empower:
“This hospital exists to give children a new gift of life. These conditions are not their fault. As a society, it’s our responsibility to help.”
Since its opening, the hospital has performed over 378 heart surgeries and conducted more than 30,000 echocardiograms through outreach programs across the islands.
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