UK-based charity Muntada Aid has announced its 60th mission under the Little Hearts programme, and for the first time, it's happening in Pakistan.
From June 29 to July 4, a team of international and local medical professionals will perform critical, free open-heart and catheter-based procedures on children at Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar.
Since its inception in April 2012, Little Hearts has delivered over 3,000 life-saving heart operations in 13 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe.
This week-long mission in Peshawar will target 50–60 children suffering from serious congenital heart defects. Of these, approximately 10 will undergo open-heart surgery, while the remaining children will receive minimally invasive catheter-based interventions.
The mission is led by Little Hearts Programmes Manager Kabir Miah and supported by a team of 10 top medical professionals from the UK.
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Pakistan faces a growing crisis in paediatric cardiac care. Around 60,000 babies are born each year with congenital heart defects, roughly 3.4 per 1,000 births, yet only a fraction receive the necessary treatment.
With only 17 paediatric cardiac surgeons serving a population of over 200 million, the current ratio stands at a mere 0.08 surgeons per million. Over 5,000 children are currently on surgery waiting lists, with 25–30 new cases added every week.
"This mission marks an important new chapter for Little Hearts as we begin our work in Pakistan, a country where thousands of children are in desperate need of cardiac care," said Kabir Miah. "It’s a powerful reminder of why we do what we do: to give children the chance to live full, healthy lives."
In addition to the surgeries, the mission will focus on skill transfer and capacity-building for Lady Reading Hospital’s medical staff, ensuring a lasting impact beyond the six-day campaign.
Muntada Aid is calling on communities and organisations to support this vital cause, helping to bring hope, and healing, to children who would otherwise go untreated.
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