In a bid to shine spotlight on a silent, significant heart health issue that affects countless lives around the world, the Sri Sathya Sai Sanjeevani Children’s Heart Hospital today launched the Congenital Heart Defect Awareness Week.

Hospital Director, Dr Krupali Tappoo, says the goal of this awareness week is not just to bring attention to the prevalence of congenital heart disease, but to foster understanding, support and compassion for those living with these conditions.

“The heart defects are conditions present at birth that impact the structure and the function of the heart. These defects can vary widely, from simple issues that may not cause any noticeable symptoms to complex conditions requiring immediate medical intervention.”

According to the World Health Organization, congenital heart defects are the most common birth defects, affecting approximately one in every hundred newborns globally.

Tappoo adds that in Fiji, this equates to about 200 children every year and in the South Pacific, two and a half thousand children annually.