HEARTT Projects

Current Project: Liberia, West Africa

HEARTT’s current project is Liberia, West Africa.  Liberia is a poor country in West
Africa which recently emerged from over fifteen years of civil war.  In the health
sector, there has been the destruction of health infrastructure, dislocation of health
personnel, the massive looting of equipment, drugs,  and medical supply inventories.

Currently the state of health care in Liberia is dire:
  • Only 31% of one-year-old children are immunized against measles.
  • The World Health Organization recently reported that Liberia has the world's highest newborn mortality
    rate at 66 deaths per 1,000 births.
  • 12.9% HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among 15-24 year old pregnant women.(2)
  • Malaria prevalence rate and death rates are 56.9% and 14.1% respectively. (2)
  • Only 40% of TB cases are detected and cured under treatment. (2)  
  • 30% of all major hospitals in the public sector since 1996 have been reduced to health clinics, while
    70% remain out of commission.
  • In 1989, there were an estimated 5,056 health workers in Liberia, including 237 physicians/specialists.
    Today, it is estimated that the  country has less than 50 Liberian physicians.


Current Program: John F. Kennedy Medical Center and affiliates (including the medical school, school of nursing, PA’s, and other related affiliates). HEARTT has sponsored four(4) volunteer missions to Liberia in the last eighteen(18) months to provide health care relief and training  as follows:

  • Provision of health care - deliver health care directly to JFK patients (both inpatient and outpatient). Establishment of protocols, algorithms, and guidelines to be used for rapid assessment and intervention of patients. Solicit and donate medical equipment and supplies. Assistance with improvement of medication procurement and delivery to patients. Development of clinical nutritional program based on local dietary products.
  • Clinical data collection and analysis - for the development of strategies and programs for disease management and prevention.
  • Provider education and training - develop and host discipline specific lectures, workshops, seminars, and ground rounds to health care providers, residents, and students.  Provision of interdisciplinary bedside teaching rounds. Training on nutritional issues to health care workers.
  • Community outreach - patient and caregivers education on disease management and prevention.  Develop and distribute literature on disease management and prevention. Provision of free medication to patients. Plan and host community health fairs. Provision of health and nutritional information using the airwaves and other media.

Pending Initiatives (implementation within 6 to 12 months):

  • Continuing Medical Education - Development and implementation of continuing medical education (CME) and continuing educational units (CEU) programs.
  • Residency Program - development of  a collaborative residency training program between U.S. medical institutions and the JFK Medical Center and training affiliates.
  • Pediatric  Program - recruitment of pediatric health care professionals, medication, and supplies to assist JFK leadership with the development and implementation of their new pediatric program initiative (malaria prevention and treatment, HIV/Aids prevention and treatment, etc.)


Please click the link below for more news on HEARTT.
allAfrica.com