Laura Churchill, Marva Bushay and Dr Yousef Daryani are raising a minimum of £1,500 for the project in Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa, as part of the Echo in Africa initiative organised by the British Society of Echocardiography. They will screen up to 2,000 children for early signs of rheumatic heart disease (a preventable heart condition caused by rheumatic fever) and other heart diseases.
Laura Churchill, one of the chief cardiac physiologists taking part in the project, said: “In the UK we are lucky to have access to technology that can diagnose and prevent these diseases, but not all of the children in South Africa have this privilege. We also have the skills to perform a detailed assessment of their hearts in the UK, which could save many of these children’s lives.
“After being invited to take part in this humanitarian project, we feel that it is important for us to use our skills and the technology that we often take for granted, to really make a difference where children need it worldwide.
“Rheumatic heart disease is the third most common cause of heart failure in Africa, and so it is vital that this preventable heart damage is detected early to help save lives. This can be most effectively done by using an ultrasound of the heart (an echocardiogram).”
Rheumatic heart disease is a consequence of acute rheumatic fever, a disease of poverty; contributing factors include poor housing, malnutrition and little access to medical help, including vital treatments such as antibiotics. With every re-activation and non-treatment of the disease, immense strain is put onto the heart, which may lead to severe valvular heart disease and heart failure.
Dr James Marsh, Joint Medical Director at the Trust, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the cardiology team for giving their support to this project. That they are willing to give up their time and raise money to travel to South Africa is not only compassionate, it also shows their commitment and dedication to their profession.”
As well as researching into the disease, long-term treatment will be provided for children in these poor areas that are found to be affected.
To allow for the amount of screening to take place, a permanent facility is being built for the project. Laura, Marva and Dr Daryani are saving for their flights themselves, but they need to raise a minimum of £1500 to go towards costs of building the facility and transporting the children for this life-saving trip to take place.
Regardless of the amount, any donation will go a long way to ensuring that disadvantaged children with the disease are given treatment, and will help them to go on to live full healthy lives. To donate, visit their fundraising page at www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/EchoInAfrica.