1) 93% of people outside of North America, Europe and Australia lack access to cardiac surgery, amounting to approximately 4.5 billion people worldwide without access. 2) Many cardiac specialists want to help improve access to cardiac care globally but lack coordination and information on existing programs. 3) The document proposes the Global Heart Network platform to foster collaboration by allowing professionals, organizations and others to share information, project ideas, and best practices to help address the challenges of increasing access to cardiac care in low and middle income countries.

1. Increasing Access to Cardiac Care In Low and Middle Income
Countries
www.globalheartnetwork.net

2. A Global Challenge
93 % of all the people in the world living outside
North America, Australia, and Europehave no
access to cardiac surgery!
This means approximately 4.5 billion people in
the world have no access to cardiac surgery.
(Unger F. Worldwide survey on cardiac interventions 1995. Cor Europaeum. 1999;7:128-46.)

3. A Global Challenge
Many Cardiac Surgeons, Cardiologists and
other Health Care Providers in the more
affluent countries want to become involved
in a program to improve the world’s access
to cardiac surgery but have no idea how to
do go about it.
More importantly, those who are involved
are often unaware of other ongoing
programs

4. Current situation
The problem The problem
The problem
Organizations are willing to collaborate
but they face challenges
Lack of transparency
and reliable data
No Unified approach
Potential disconnect
between medical and
NGOs
Competition for
funding and
historic barriers

5. The Need for Change
Explanation Care providers often work
individually within their own self-
imposed silos; their management
systems work independently of each
other without exchanging information
with other related nonprofits.
Explanation It is crucial to create and foster collaboration
through data sharing, analyzing best practices and new care
pathways that can become standards across the developing
world that will change the way cardiology services are delivered.

6. The Solution
The GHN platform is a ‘contribution platform’ committed to fostering communication and
collaboration both locally and worldwide to all stakeholders
We envision the GHN platform as a central space for participants to share project ideas, collaborate,
and build upon existing resources, mechanisms and communities.

7. Adapted from: Himmelman, A. (2001). On coalitions and the transformation of power relations: Collaborative
betterment and collaborative empowerment, American Journal of Community Psychology, 29 (2)
Increasing access to
Cardiac care in low
and middle income
countries
Moving Towards Collaboration
1. 2. 3. 4.
Networking Coordinating Cooperating Collaborating
Building up a
circle of
trusted
partners and
resources
Supporting
another to realize
shared goals
Sharing of
knowledge,
learning and
building
consensus
How we connect
Managing
resources and
activities on a
global scale

8. The Web Application
1. Set up a Profile 2. Post a Need
The GHN Platform sends out messages to other users with profile characteristics
that match the project need

9. Community Action Panel (CAP Forum)
(Unger F. Worldwide survey on cardiac interventions 1995. Cor Europaeum. 1999;7:128-46.)
3. Engage in discussions with other users to solve the problem, share best
practice or exchange various kind of information
The CAP is a knowledge sharing section ‘Forum’ allowing users to share expertise and provide tailored
solutions to serious problems in health disparity for cardiovascular services . The GHN members (NGOs,
clinicians, academics, funders, etc) becomes part of the solution through a fluid system of exchange and growth
during solution development . Users can present problem, start threads, share information, and discuss
important issues clinical, policy, resource allocation issues.

10. Committed to a bright future
Future 2014: South –
South collaboration
Mapping Referral
Centers/CVD Center
Database in LMICs
Future 2013/14: Create
Advisory Board and bring
together to agree to:
• Criteria for hospitals’
engagement with medical mission
groups, to help facilitate a
common standard and facilitate
connections with local hospitals
• Criteria for Referral Centers
/CVD Center Database
•Create Waiting Lists
Current
Mapping Global NGO Medical
Mission Landscape – who is
working, where, when and reports
to be inputted in platform
Matching needs to resources

11. www.globalheartnetwork.net
PARTICIPATE Visit our Website and click on Join Us.
Create your profile. Be part of the community.