For the children

Capricorn partners with Namibia National Children’s Heart Trust
    - 2023-03-29 08:51:00
Due to limited infrastructure and resources within the paediatric cardiac service in Namibia, patients are often referred to South Africa for medical interventions, such as surgeries, through public/private outsourcing agreements.
This, however, has profound financial implications, with not all families being able to afford it.
The Namibia National Children's Heart Trust was officially launched in Windhoek on Saturday, 25 March 2023. The trust was founded to bridge the gap by acting as a conduit for receiving monetary and material donations to supplement the Ministry of Health and Social Services. The trust aims to ensure that Namibian patients born with congenital heart diseases are provided with affordable, accessible and sustainable care locally.
The Capricorn Foundation, under its Health focus area, aims to support government and vulnerable communities by increasing access to basic healthcare. Consequently, the Capricorn Foundation committed N$500 000 towards the Namibia National Children’s Heart Trust to support the trust in its aim of achieving 150-200 transcatheter and surgical procedures per annum.
“As Connectors of Positive Change and a responsible corporate citizen, the Capricorn Foundation believes in partnering with like-minded organisations to achieve sustainable development and greater impact,” said Marlize Horn, Group Executive: Brand & Corporate Affairs and Executive Officer: Capricorn Foundation.
There is a high incidence and prevalence of CHD and other acquired heart diseases among children and adults in Namibia, collectively resulting in profound morbidity and premature mortality.
The Namibia National children’s Heart Trust indicated that the current numbers waiting for surgical interventions are greater than 300, and many more for transcatheter interventions. Their priority is to obtain high-resolution ultrasound machines, cardiopulmonary bypass circuit machines, catheterisation laboratory anaesthetic machines, theatre consumables, ICU equipment, consumables, and medications to impact children’s lives.