About LHF - Prevention

Committed to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases

The Ladakh Heart Foundation is a non-profit, non-political organisation which was formed and registered under the J&K Government Registration and Societies Act on the 20th February 1997. Ladakh is one of the largest districts in the Indian Himalayas, lying at an altitude of 3/3500m. The high altitude, extremely cold environment and difficult living conditions result in a high incidence of congenital and acquired heart disease, as well as causing a high prevalence of respiratory problems. Since it was established three years ago the Foundation and all those involved have worked hard to help the people of Ladakh in teaching them more bout the risks of heart disease, and in raising money to improve Ladakh’s facilities for the treatment of such conditions.

Here are several accounts of what the Ladakh Heart Foundation has undertaken and achieved over the last three years...

Preventative Intervention

Before the establishment of the Ladakh Heart Foundation in 1997, there was a high prevalence of Acquired Rheumatic Fever in Ladakh. The reason for this is that during the extremely cold winter months (which can drop to below 30), local families spend most of their time together in the traditional kitchen. This close proximity to each other exposes young children to cross infection with streptococcal throat infections, which may develop into Acquired Rheumatic Fever, and possibly Rheumatic Heart Disease with severe consequences later in life.

In response to this problem the Ladakh Heart Foundation, in association with the Lions Club Leh and the District Health Services, initiated the “primary prevention of ARF” scheme. This entails any child aged between five and fifteen with possible streptococcal throat infection, receiving a single shot of Benzathene Penicillin after a proper sensitivity test, so that the infection doesn’t develop into ARF. Thanks to this scheme the instance of Acquired Rheumatic Fever, Acute Rheumatic Fever and Rheumatic Heart Disease has dropped since 1997