Healing little hearts in Uganda
Our strategy to prioritize the development of sustainable pediatric cardiac programs in emerging countries began at the Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) in 2009. In the following years, we have upgraded essential equipment, facilitated training by world-class healthcare professionals, installed a telemedicine system and provided supplemental supplies and medicines to support reliable and sustainable surgeries and catheterizations at UHI. Additionally, we worked to engage the UHI Hospital Administration and Ugandan Ministry of Health who now fully support the program.
The pediatric cardiac program at UHI achieved Gift of Life International Legacy Program status in 2018. Ugandan healthcare professionals now provide care to children with heart ailments on a sustainable basis under the leadership of lead surgeon, Dr. Michael Oketcho.
A crucial element of our success is based upon the partnerships we developed with Chain of Hope UK and Dr. Craig Sable and his charity Heart Healers International. Each organization provided unique elements of empowerment which helped to make the program at UHI so impactful. Dr. Sable and his team have championed an initiative which addresses the Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) crisis in Uganda. We have screened over 100,000 children and currently have over 3,500 under care which prevents advanced RHD.
Dark BG Divider
Stories from Uganda.
Each child we save is another chapter in our story of how regular people, driven by passion, make a difference in the world. These are the stories of Uganda children who have been given a new chance at life. These are the stories that inspire us at Gift of Life International.
White BG Divider
Program Development
2009 – Uganda is selected as the 1st Core Program for Gift of Life International
In 2009, Gift of Life International sponsored an international conference in Kampala, Uganda which resulted in a strategic plan to develop a sustainable pediatric cardiac program at the Uganda Heart Institute – the first Gift of Life International Core Program. Only 9 cardiac interventions had been completed at the Uganda Heart Institute in 2008 with an immense waitlist of children in need of care.
The Our Hearts are in Uganda Program saw 66 children treated throughout our global network across 13 countries at 25 affiliated hospitals to raise awareness of the need for a program in Uganda. We created Gift of Life Uganda to support the ongoing efforts of the healthcare professionals at the Uganda Heart Institute
2012 – MOU Signed with Ugandan Government
In February 2012, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed outlining the commitment and responsibilities of the Ugandan Government, The Uganda Heart Institute and Gift of Life International as part of the strategic development of this Core Program. The Ugandan Government committed to allocating $500,000 per year to operate a minimum of 100 children at UHI annually.
2013 – Essential Equipment Acquisition
In 2013 $300,000 of state-of-the-art equipment was donated to the program for diagnosis and treatment of patients. A Telemedicine system was installed at UHI to enhance training, live case discussion, live distance education and more. The Ugandan Government purchased and installed a state-of-the-art bi-plane catheterization lab at the Uganda Heart Institute and the first PDA Device Closure was successfully completed in the Cath Lab.
2014 – RHD Research and Treatment Begins
Gift of Life International and our Global Network of Caring expanded our partnership with Dr. Craig Sable from Children’s National Health System in Washington, D.C. to support research and treatment of children with Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). 12,000 children screened for RHD.
2018 – Uganda becomes a Legacy Program
In 2018 all of the equipment in the operating theater and ICU at the Uganda Heart Institute was upgraded and a dedicated pediatric cardiac ICU was put in place. The Ugandan pediatric cardiac team was fully trained through mentorship from world-class visiting teams and additional training through the telemedicine system. The UHI Hospital Administration and Ugandan Ministry of Health were both engaged and supportive of the program and the Ugandan team were operating 175 children annually on a sustainable basis with a mortality rate of less than 5% and increased complexity of cases.
2020 – Ground-breaking Progress on the Treatment of Children with RHD
2020 saw the culmination of 100,000 children screened for RHD. 1,000 of those children were diagnosed and received monthly penicillin injections to prevent the progression of the disease. The Ugandan Pediatric Cardiac Team at UHI is now able to operate on children with CHD and advanced RHD. Throughout the global pandemic there was no interruption in the monthly penicillin injections for children with RHD and the team at UHI continued to operate on 48 children with CHD despite strict lockdowns.
2025 – Pediatric Cardiac Care at UHI Continues Growth
Our program at UHI continued its strong growth in 2025. The Ugandan pediatric cardiac surgical and catheterization teams reliably treated over 150 children while the Ugandan Government continued to sustainably support their efforts. The program enjoys a state-of-the-art intensive care unit, operating room and catheterization lab. Children with congenital heart disease (CHD) and Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) are now regularly being cared for, with over 3,500 children under care which prevents advanced RHD.
Building a Legacy Program in Uganda
Learn more about our work in Uganda
Reports of children treated in Uganda
GOLI Visit Report Uganda November 2025
GOLI_VisitReport_Uganda_Nov2024
GOLI_VisitReport_Uganda_Nov2018
GOLI_VisitReport_Uganda_Nov2017
GOLI_ProgramUpdate_Uganda_2016
GOLI_VisitReport_Uganda_Sept2015
GOLI_VisitReport_Uganda_May2015
GOLI_VisitReport_Uganda_Mar2015
GOLI_VisitReport_Uganda_Oct2014
GOLI_VisitReport_Uganda_Oct2013
Dark BG Divider
“Gift of Life International helped to empower us to run the program on our own. Being able to give a child back their life is a tremendous privilege and brings a sense of joy that you cannot measure.”
~ Dr. Michael Oketcho Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Uganda Heart Institute
Our Impact in Uganda since 2009.
11,174
Ugandan Children Treated
35
Training Visits
White BG Divider
