Area-Based Response: Response to the Sudan crisis with specialized healthcare services in Khartoum. ltpgtThe primary objective of the initiative is to provide life-saving surgical and medical care to individuals impacted by Rheumatic heart disease complications. Implementation will take place at the Salam Centre, EMERGENCY's specialized Cardiac Surgery hospital in Soba Hilla, located in the south-eastern outskirts of Khartoum. Specifically, the targeted areas for intervention encompass Soba (Hilla, Haradi, and Butri), Mayo (Al-azahari, Al-salam), and Sharganil (Bakri and Al-Haj-Yusif), with the potential to extend assistance to people in Al-ingazi, Al-Azahari, Absuk al-Markasi, and Medina Stadium. Furthermore, the Salam Centre is able to welcome patients from all of Khartoum state and the other Sudanese states. ltbrgtThe project aims to offer free-of-charge, life-saving specialized cardiac surgical treatments and follow-up to the population affected by conflict.ltbrgtRheumatic heart disease, prevalent in Sudan, remains a major cause of mortality among young individuals in developing countries. This disease inflicts severe damage to heart valves, jeopardizing their proper functioning and causing a gradual decline in the patient's quality of life, ultimately leading to death. Unfortunately, few healthcare facilities have the capacity to provide adequate prevention and treatment for this infection, making rheumatic fever the primary cause of cardiovascular diseases in children and adolescents aged 5 to 15 years in Africa. The core issue lies in the limited access to care, especially for children, due to the absence of free services, insufficient healthcare facilities, and a shortage of qualified medical personnel.ltbrgtEstablished in 2007 by the NGO EMERGENCY in Khartoum, the Salam Centre for Cardiac Surgery stands as the sole facility in Sudan (and the region) offering high-quality, comprehensive, and completely free-of-charge cardiac services. This prominent healthcare facility provides highly specialized care and surgical interventions for both acquired and congenital heart conditions to patients from Sudan and 33 other countries. It operates through a network facilitating systematic screening missions and post-operative follow-ups to ensure the continuous administration of life-saving anticoagulant therapy.ltbrgtGiven the challenges of a disrupted health system and an insecure operating environment, especially in Khartoum, maintaining the functionality of this facility and increasing the availability of its services is crucial and a matter of life or death for thousands of people suffering from cardiac diseases in Sudan. Through this project, EMERGENCY aims to ensure timely diagnoses, open-heart surgical interventions for individuals with rheumatic heart disease, and post-operative care with essential follow-ups.ltbrgtIn this respect, as of November 2023, data collected by OCHA and WHO Sudan reveals that 65% of the Sudanese population lacks access to healthcare services, with approximately 70% of hospitals in conflict areas being non-operational. Furthermore, from April 15 to October 2023, there have been around 60 attacks on healthcare, resulting in the damaging of health facilities through shelling and arson, looting of vital medical supplies, loss of health workers' lives, injuries and arrests, and deliberate obstruction of patients from accessing healthcare.ltbrgtAs a matter of fact, the Salam Centre plays a critical role by providing life-saving services, particularly in a scenario where individuals affected by rheumatic heart disease would otherwise be deprived of access to care.ltbrgtIn line with this, Outcome 1 aims to enhance access to life-saving specialized cardiac care for individuals affected by Rheumatic heart disease through cardiac surgery. Simultaneously, it seeks to ensure the continuity of the INR follow-up service, the life-saving therapy for individuals who have undergone cardiac surgery for heart valve replacement. This comprehensive approach is designed to address both the immediate and ongoing healthcare needs of the affected population.ltbrgtlt/pgt