DHL Delivers the World’s First Mobile Heart Clinic to Burundi
Partnering with German NGO Kinderherzen, the mobile clinic will deliver life-saving heart surgeries for children with congenital heart disease in Burundi.
DHL Group has announced the successful delivery of the world’s first mobile heart clinic for children to Burundi, marking a significant milestone in global healthcare logistics. This groundbreaking initiative aims to address a critical gap in paediatric healthcare in the region. According to DHL Global Forwarding, the project, executed in partnership with the German NGO Kinderherzen, will provide life-saving cardiovascular surgeries for children with congenital heart disease (CHD).
The press release highlights that an estimated 90% of children in Africa with congenital heart disease (CHD) lack access to essential medical care, contributing to high mortality rates. To address this urgent need, the Mobile Health Clinic for Kids (MOHKI) has been designed to bring specialized cardiac treatment to underserved communities. The advanced facility comprises fourteen 20-foot containers, fully equipped with operating theatres, an intensive care unit, medical supplies, solar panels, and other critical infrastructure to ensure continuous and reliable healthcare delivery.
This is not the first time DHL has spearheaded such an initiative. Last year, the company completed a mission in El Salvador, where the mobile clinic’s team performed 24 life-saving heart surgeries. In Burundi, volunteer medical experts will work alongside local healthcare professionals to provide essential surgeries and strengthen pediatric healthcare capacity.
“This partnership with kinderherzen reflects our commitment to connecting people and improving lives,” states Amadou Diallo, CEO of DHL Global Forwarding Middle East & Africa. “By utilizing our logistical expertise and global network, we’re ensuring that advanced healthcare services reach communities where they are needed most, empowering health systems to deliver life-saving medical care for children.”
The team is set to perform life-saving heart surgeries over a two-and-a-half-week period, which includes two weeks of surgeries followed by five days of post-operative care. After surgery, children will receive medical attention in MOHKI’s intensive care unit and nursing ward before being either discharged or transferred to the Mother-Child Centre at Hospital Kamenge. This mission marks the first phase of MOHKI’s operations in Burundi, with additional missions planned, including the next one in June 2025.
Many African countries lack paediatric heart surgery expertise and facilities. MOHKI’s mobile clinic provides vital care and training to strengthen local healthcare. It will serve as a transitional facility for one year, until a permanent heart centre is established, promoting sustainable improvements in paediatric care.
“Without access to paediatric heart surgery, many children with congenital heart defects in Burundi have no chance of survival. This mobile kinderherzen-clinic is an opportunity to save lives. Some central African countries, particularly Burundi, are severely underserved. This project not only saves lives but also lays the foundation for a global movement of humanity and cooperation. Such an initiative would not be possible without logistics partners like DHL, and for that we are grateful,” explains Jörg Gattenlöhner, Managing Director of kinderherzen.
Africa faces a critical shortage of paediatric healthcare, particularly in remote and underserved regions. By leveraging DHL’s extensive logistics network, MOHKI ensures the safe and timely transport of life-saving medical care to Burundi. Other African countries have already expressed the need for specialized cardiology care, highlighting MOHKI’s potential to expand its impact across the region in the coming years.
Image source: DHL
