On a crisp November morning in Zambia’s capital, medicine and diplomacy intertwined when Israeli President Isaac Herzog stood alongside Zambian leaders to pay tribute to the work of Save a Child’s Heart (SACH) in treating Zambian children born with serious heart defects and in training a new generation of local cardiac specialists.
Herzog’s two-day visit to Lusaka, hosted by President Hakainde Hichilema, highlighted the growing ties between Israel and Zambia, most tangibly in health.
“We work together in many areas ... and many Zambians know that Israeli doctors are treating our heart patients,” Hichilema told Herzog. “We deeply appreciate the work they do.”
Herzog reaffirmed his commitment to share SACH’s mission. “It’s an expression of affection and love for Zambia, and great human beings are obeying a huge Jewish rule: if you save one person, you save a whole world,” he said. “If you save one child’s heart, you are saving an entire universe. This is something incredibly Jewish in terms of tikkun olam—healing the world—and also in terms of our deep alliance with Zambia.”
The meeting between the presidents on Nov. 10 ended on an emotional note when Kachese Syapiila, 16, a Zambian boy whose life was saved by Save a Child’s Heart surgeons in a heart operation on July 11, 2024, stepped forward and said: “I am one of the patients who was helped by SACH through the National Heart Hospital. I was in Israel last year from June to August.”
Herzog asked, “How did we treat you?” Kachese replied, “Amazing!”
Save a Child’s Heart, a humanitarian organization that provides cardiac healthcare to children worldwide, was founded in 1995 and is based at the Wolfson Medical Center in Holon. Since its establishment, SACH said in a press release, it has saved more than 8,000 children from 75 countries, and its work in Zambia is a cornerstone of its mission. SACH has treated 136 Zambian children, 29 in 2025 alone, and 14 more scheduled before year’s end—bringing the total to 150 by December.
The NGO’s efforts go well beyond flying patients to Israel. Through sustained training programs, SACH has helped to build a world-class Zambian cardiac team. One striking success story is Dr. Musa Kalembe Lwara, Zambia’s first pediatric cardiac intensive-care specialist. Lwara completed a three-year fellowship in Israel at Wolfson Medical Center, where he trained alongside Israelis in life-saving specialties.
When Lwara addressed Herzog, he greeted the president in Hebrew, “Ma nishma?” (How are you?) Herzog replied, “Beseder” (I’m fine), both laughing at the unusual exchange. Lwara recently returned to Zambia to apply his skills as part of the national pediatric cardiac team.
Dr. Agnes Mtaja, the medical director of the National Heart Hospital (NHH) in Lusaka, noted that over 150 Zambian children had already received treatment in Israel through SACH’s missions and stressed the continued need: “Every year, around 6,000 children are born in Zambia with congenital heart conditions. There is no room for slowing down.”
In recognition of SACH’s role, the press release revealed, the partnership has now grown even deeper. The organization, in collaboration with the Zambian Health Ministry and the American Jewish Committee, is funding a state-of-the-art heart-lung machine—a $200,000 investment that will help NHH perform more cardiac surgeries independently, without requiring children to travel abroad.
Simon Fisher, the executive director of SACH, traveled with the Israeli president to Zambia, participating in high-level meetings aimed at expanding medical cooperation and strengthening pediatric cardiac services in the country, which has a population of almost 22 million.
“Sitting with President Herzog and listening to Zambian health leaders speak of their experience—after years of partnership, trust and real progress—was deeply moving,” Fisher said. “We look forward to continuing the program’s growth and returning to Zambia in December once the new heart-lung machine arrives—hopefully in time for Christmas.”
As Herzog left Zambia, six more Zambian children departed for Israel for life-saving heart surgeries, accompanied by Dr. Sara Musalale, a Zambian anesthesiologist who is joining SACH’s advanced medical fellowship program in anesthesiology.
