Eleven children with congenital heart disease from poor families in Guizhou Province arrived in the city on Tuesday, World Heart Day, for treatment at ShanghaiYodakCardio-Thoracic Hospital.

Congenital heart disease affects 6 to 9 babies among every 1,000 in China. There are about 2 million children in China waiting for surgery with 120,000 new patients annually.

The children fromLiupanshuiare the first beneficiaries of a charity program launched by local health authorities and ShanghaiYodak, which conducts screening and surgery free.

The children are aged between 13 months and 14, with 80 percent below 3 years old. Early intervention is extremely important for their growth and recovery, said DrXiaoMingdi, the hospital’s president.

A child with congenital heart disease is checked before surgery.