NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 17 – The Nairobi Hospital held its 2026 Children’s Charity Heart Fund Golf Tournament, bringing together corporate partners, sponsors, golfers, philanthropists and members of the public to mobilise support for children from disadvantaged backgrounds requiring specialised cardiac treatment.
Speaking during the tournament at Karen Country Club on Friday, The Nairobi Hospital Chief Executive Officer Felix Osano said many children requiring heart surgery arrive at the facility after their families have exhausted their financial resources.
“Every child who comes to us for heart surgery has usually run out of time and money before they reach our door,” Osano said.
He said contributions from the annual fundraiser help bridge the financial gap by supporting theatre time, diagnostic services and specialist care required by children who cannot afford treatment.
The Children’s Charity Heart Fund has enabled more than 400 children to receive free, life-saving heart surgery over the years, according to The Nairobi Hospital.
The 2026 tournament brought together the corporate community, healthcare partners, development partners, sponsors and individual donors as part of efforts to expand access to specialised paediatric cardiac services.
Growing demand for paediatric heart care
The fundraiser comes against a persistent shortage of paediatric cardiac treatment capacity in Kenya, where thousands of children are estimated to require surgery for congenital heart defects every year.
A peer-reviewed review of congenital heart disease in East Africa, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, estimated that about 5,000 children require congenital heart surgery in Kenya each year. The study also highlighted the significant gap between the number of children requiring treatment and the available surgical capacity.
Congenital heart disease refers to structural abnormalities of the heart that are present at birth. The conditions vary in severity, with some requiring monitoring and medication while others require corrective surgery or other specialised interventions.
The burden is particularly significant in countries where access to paediatric cardiac specialists, operating theatres, intensive care and other specialised services remains limited.
A 2025 report, citing World Health Organization estimates, said more than 5,000 children in Kenya require heart surgery for congenital defects annually, while only a fraction receive treatment because of limited capacity. The report said Kenya had fewer than 15 paediatric cardiologists and only two hospitals equipped to perform paediatric open-heart surgery at the time.
The same report noted that the cost of paediatric cardiac treatment can place an additional burden on families, with surgery reported to cost up to Sh2.5 million depending on the case.
Financial barriers remain a challenge
For families without adequate insurance or financial resources, the cost of diagnosis, surgery and post-operative care can make access to treatment difficult.
The 2025 edition of The Nairobi Hospital’s Children’s Charity Heart Fund Golf Tournament raised more than Sh10 million, with the proceeds directed towards life-saving surgeries and post-operative care for children with congenital heart disease.
The Nairobi Hospital has previously said the Heart Fund supports children aged between zero and 12 years who require cardiac treatment. More than 400 children had benefited from free heart operations by the 2025 tournament, according to reports on the initiative.
The fund therefore seeks to address not only the medical need but also the financial barriers that can prevent vulnerable children from accessing specialised treatment.
For children with complex heart defects, delays in treatment can have serious consequences. The East African review on congenital heart disease noted that the lack of adequate cardiac surgical capacity contributes to a large unmet need for treatment in the region.
Hospital seeks wider partnerships
The Nairobi Hospital says the annual golf tournament has become one of its flagship fundraising initiatives, using partnerships with the private sector and other stakeholders to support children who would otherwise struggle to access specialised cardiac care.
Osano said the money raised through the tournament is directed towards specific components of treatment, including diagnostics, theatre services and specialist care.
The Hospital’s Board of Management Chairman, Dr Barcley Onyambu, said the initiative reflects the institution’s responsibility to ensure that financial limitations do not completely determine who gets access to specialised healthcare.
“A hospital is measured by how it treats those least able to pay,” Onyambu said.
He thanked sponsors and partners for continuing to support the initiative, describing their involvement as an ongoing commitment to vulnerable children rather than a one-off contribution.
The tournament also provides a platform for the hospital to strengthen partnerships with corporate organisations, healthcare partners, donors and other stakeholders involved in improving paediatric healthcare.
More than 400 children already treated
The Nairobi Hospital says the Children’s Charity Heart Fund has so far supported more than 400 children with free, life-saving heart surgery.
The hospital said the contributions from sponsors, golfers, partners, volunteers and other supporters have helped expand access to cardiac treatment for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
The initiative is part of the hospital’s broader commitment to improving equitable access to quality healthcare through strategic partnerships, philanthropy and sustainable community programmes.
The hospital said it will continue working with partners to expand access to specialised paediatric cardiac services and improve treatment outcomes for vulnerable children and their families.
With thousands of children estimated to require cardiac surgery each year, initiatives such as the Children’s Charity Heart Fund provide an additional avenue for families who might otherwise be unable to meet the cost of specialised treatment.
