9. Elevating the Human Condition Through Pediatric Surgery
Vafa Akhavan, CEO of World Pediatric Project
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Did you know that only 3% of children in low income countries have access to surgery, while 85% of children in high income countries like the US have access? This means that easily treatable conditions like appendicitis or long bone fractures could result in death or lifelong disability for children in low and middle income countries. On the bright side, there are organizations like World Pediatric Project that are working to provide access to specialty medical care for children in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The podcast episode features an interview with Vafa Akhavan, the CEO of World Pediatric Project, a nonprofit organization that provides access to specialty medical care for children in Latin America and the Caribbean. The conversation covers Vafa's background and career path, as well as the mission and unique model of World Pediatric Project. Vafa emphasizes the importance of access to healthcare for children in low and middle income countries and discusses the extreme cases that World Pediatric Project focuses on. This organization has amazingly developed a network of pediatricians, hospitals, and donors over the past 20 years, which allows them to care for children around the world.
In this Episode, We Cover:
Access to Surgery in Low Income Countries: The podcast episode starts with a discussion on the lack of access to surgery for children in low income countries, which can lead to death or lifelong disability.
Vafa Akhavan's Background and Career Path: Hetal introduces Vafa Akhavan, the CEO of World Pediatric Project, and discusses his background and career path, including his experience working with complex global organizations across seven industries in 16 different countries.
From Filmmaking to Nonprofit Healthcare: The host and Vafa discuss Vafa's transition from a career in filmmaking to working as the CEO of World Pediatric Project, and how his passion for advocating for children grew over time.
Vafa's Career Path: Vafa talks about his career path, from film and television to consulting, and how he learned to make decisions based on his core values.
Focus on Children: Vafa discusses his lifelong interest in children and how focusing on them can impact the future of humanity.
Joining World Pediatric Project: Vafa talks about how he became the CEO of World Pediatric Project, a nonprofit organization that provides access to specialty medical care for children in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Extreme Cases: Vafa talks about his attraction to extreme cases and how surgery can be a trigger event in a child's life.
Tertiary Care: Vafa shares an extreme example of tertiary care, Claudia Garcia, and the challenges of accessing healthcare in remote areas.
Building an Ecosystem: Vafa explains how World Pediatric Project's model has evolved over 20 years, building a network of pediatricians, hospitals, and donors to provide access to specialty medical care.
Model of World Pediatric Project: Describes the model of World Pediatric Project, which involves clinics and events where children are assessed and given intervention plans, with extreme cases being brought to the US.
Capacity Building and Sustainability: Discusses the focus on building capacity and sustainability into the model of World Pediatric Project, including training local surgeons and partnering with hospitals to transform pediatric health systems.
Importance of Access to Healthcare: Highlights the need for safe surgery in low and middle income countries, with 450 million children under the age of five lacking access, and the economic impact of neonatal deaths. Encourages giving back and understanding global issues.
Patient Follow-ups: Hetal asks Vafa about how World Pediatric Project tracks and reports patient follow-ups, and Vafa explains the patient management platform and the on-ground team in every country.
Future Goals: The host asks Vafa about the future goals of World Pediatric Project, and Vafa explains that he wants to continue working in the space of children's healthcare and anything that has to do with the cause of children.
Final chapters in Vafa's book: Vafa talks about his future plans and how he wants to focus on working with children and adding value to their lives.
Who is Vafa Akhavan?
Vafa became World Pediatric Project's Chief Executive Officer in October 2021. He brought to WPP a wealth of executive leadership, including a career of working with complex, global organizations across seven industries in 16 countries. He served as CEO at NueBridge, a global consultancy; CEO at Forum Corporation consultancy in Boston; and VP global operations Information and Media, a segment of McGraw-Hill in New York. Vafa also serves on the Board of Directors of Children Believe, a global non-profit focused on the health and well-being of children in underserved communities.
