As the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates, Save a Child’s Heart (SACH)
continues its life-saving mission while ensuring the safety and well-being of dozens
of African children and medical trainees currently under its care.

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SACH is an Israeli-based humanitarian organization that provides life-saving cardiac
treatment to children from countries where access to such care is limited or
unavailable. To date, SACH has treated more than 7,500 children from 72 countries,
with over half coming from across the African continent.
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Currently, 40 African children are under SACH’s care:
- 27 children and their mothers from Rwanda, Zambia, Ethiopia, Zanzibar,
and Kenya are staying at the SACH Children’s Home in Holon. They are safe
and well, supported by SACH nurses and staff, and sheltered in accordance
with emergency protocols.
- 8 children are hospitalized in the Intensive Care Unit at the Sylvan Adams
Children’s Hospital at Wolfson Medical Center. They are closely monitored by
medical staff, with their mothers by their side.
- 5 children are receiving post-operative care in the Pediatric Surgical
Department. In case of missile alerts, all patients, families, and staff relocate
promptly to the protected shelter in the hospital’s Pediatric Heart Institute.

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Despite the security challenges, SACH maintains full operations to provide these
children with advanced cardiac care and emotional support.
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One of the growing challenges has been flight restrictions and safety concerns,
which are preventing discharged children from returning home to reunite with their
families. At the same time, new children scheduled to arrive for treatment are unable
to travel to Israel. These delays not only affect the children's medical care but also
place an emotional burden on their families and caregivers on both ends.
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In parallel, seven African physicians from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Zambia, and Rwanda are
currently undergoing training in pediatric cardiac specialities through SACH’s
medical fellowship program. Trained by the Israeli medical team at Wolfson Medical
Center and Sylvan Adams Children's Hospital, these doctors are also contributing
directly to emergency care efforts, assisting with the treatment of Israeli patients.
Wolfson Medical Center received approximately 100 casualties overnight; 13 remain
hospitalized, including three in critical condition.
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The African fellows, while continuing their training in pediatric cardiac care, are now
also playing a vital role in Israel’s emergency response—a powerful testament to the
long-term impact of medical cooperation between Israel and Africa.

In times of peace and in times of crisis, Save a Child’s Heart remains committed to
its mission: treating children in need and training medical professionals to build
sustainable cardiac care systems in their home countries.

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