Gift for Children’s HeartLink to Support Global Coalition Efforts to Adopt World Health Assembly Resolution on Childhood-Onset Heart Disease, Including Congenital Heart Defects
Following the release of the 2026 World Heart Report on Congenital Heart Disease, global momentum is building to address inequities in access to timely diagnosis, intervention and lifelong cardiac care for people with congenital heart defects, as well as other childhood-onset heart diseases (COHD). To supercharge this momentum, the Mussallem CHD Alliance is proud to support Children’s HeartLink in its efforts to advance a global strategy to save more children’s hearts.
Founded in 1969, Children’s HeartLink has significant expertise in engaging stakeholders to develop hospital and country-level plans to address pediatric and congenital heart care needs. Through its proven train-the-trainer model for building regional Centers of Excellence, the organization is playing a significant role in helping pediatric and congenital heart programs grow into regional leaders in care, training and innovation. During national and global policy discussions about how to build sustainable, scalable pediatric care centers in low- and middle-income countries, the perspectives of local clinician leaders who are developing and leading these programs are invaluable.
Children’s HeartLink is focused on advancing global policy and advocacy efforts to elevate childhood-onset heart disease, including congenital heart defects, on the global health agenda by supporting the adoption of a World Health Assembly Resolution on COHD at the 2027 World Health Assembly.
Such a resolution would encourage countries globally to:
- Develop national plans for childhood-onset heart disease care, including for congenital heart defects
- Strengthen and grow pediatric cardiac workforce capacity
- Improve access to diagnosis and treatment
- Expand infrastructure and health system readiness
- Increase sustainable financing for care
- Improve monitoring and data collection
By elevating COHD on the global health agenda, the resolution can help ensure that all children—regardless of where they are born—have access to lifesaving heart care.
Supported by the new funding, Children’s HeartLink will also continue to elevate key findings from the World Heart Report on Congenital Heart Disease and increase awareness of congenital heart defects among policymakers, donors and global health stakeholders.
As part of its work with Children’s HeartLink, the Mussallem CHD Alliance is proud to join the Global Coalition for Pediatric and Congenital Hearts, a worldwide effort led by Children’s HeartLink and the Global Alliance for Rheumatic and Congenital Hearts to secure a World Health Assembly Resolution on COHD, including congenital heart defects and rheumatic heart disease.
“Congenital heart defects have been overlooked on both the global health agenda as well as country-specific policy initiatives for far too long, despite its profound impact on children and families around the world,” said Perry Bridger, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs for the Mussallem CHD Alliance. “Building global momentum around the challenges the CHD community faces will help us advance a more coordinated approach to ensuring people with CHD everywhere have access to high-quality, lifelong heart care. Children’s HeartLink’s work contributing to this mission is something we’re proud to support.”
“The Mussallem CHD Alliance’s investment in Children’s HeartLink comes at a pivotal moment for children’s heart health globally. We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the reality that nine in ten children born with congenital heart defects still lack access to care,” said Bistra Zheleva, Vice President of Global Strategy and Advocacy for Children’s HeartLink. “This investment will help ensure that the global attention generated by the campaign for a World Health Assembly Resolution on Childhood-Onset Heart Disease translates into action. With decades of experience strengthening children’s heart care systems, we’re uniquely positioned to help turn policy commitments into sustainable improvements in care, so that where a child is born no longer determines whether they survive and thrive.”
On September 30, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. ET, the Global Coalition for Pediatric and Congenital Hearts, Children’s HeartLink, the Global Alliance for Rheumatic and Congenital Hearts and the World Heart Federation will co-host a webinar featuring global leaders, policymakers, clinicians, and patient advocates to discuss the World Heart Report on Congenital Heart Disease and efforts to secure the adoption of a World Health Assembly Resolution on COHD. Register for the event here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_PJcVX9nmRx60qrSMTcGqaA