Over 90% of children in lower- and middle-income countries live in paediatric heart health “deserts” with no access to timely care for congenital heart disease (CHD). The “World Heart Report on Congenital Heart Disease,” launched at the World Heart Summit 2026, calls on governments worldwide to take urgent action to protect infants, young children and adults with CHD, which affects approximately 2% of babies born each year. Without timely intervention, the most severe forms of CHD are fatal in up to 85% of infants.
