Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, April 26, 2024 — FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, is partnering with VinaCapital Foundation (VCF) for the 13th consecutive year to address an important societal need in the community. The ‘FedEx Delivers Heartbeats’ Rural Outreach Clinics program offers free specialty healthcare and medical treatment to children with congenital heart defects (CHDs) in rural Vietnam.
According to the Ministry of Health of Vietnam, approximately 15,000 children in Vietnam are born with CHDs each year. In 2024, the FedEx Delivers Heartbeats program will concentrate its efforts on 25 remote regions requiring urgent healthcare support.[1] Volunteer cardiologists and surgeons from across Vietnam will journey to these remote areas, establishing mobile clinics to perform examinations, diagnoses, and surgery plans for children . The aim is to screen over 50,000 children for CHDs, with an anticipated 1.1% diagnosis rate. With these projections, the program aims at positively impacting at least 396 young lives this year.
Disadvantaged children requiring surgery are placed on the national cardiac surgery waiting list. Additional arrangements are made to ensure that post-operative care does not entail costly and lengthy trips to hospitals in major cities in Vietnam.
“This year marks a significant milestone for FedEx as we commemorate our 30th anniversary in Vietnam, and the FedEx Delivers Heartbeats program perfectly embodies our goal of connecting people with possibilities,” said Ee-Hui Tan, Managing Director of FedEx Express Vietnam and Cambodia. “We are proud of the significant impact this program has created over the last 13 years. The value this program brings in helping these children live healthy lives fuels our dedication to further the program’s reach and impact to create brighter futures for the next generation.”
Since 2011, the FedEx Delivers Heartbeats program has conducted more than 1,005 clinics in 48 provinces in Vietnam, screening a total of 333,119 children. Among them, 7,698 previously undiagnosed cases of CHDs were identified.
“Each year, approximately 1% of children are born with congenital heart defects. Without timely treatment, 85% of these children will sadly pass away due to complications from a weakened heart,” said Mr. Rad Kivette, CEO of VinaCapital Foundation. “Thankfully, our collaboration with the FedEx Delivers Heartbeat initiative and cardiologists in Vietnam significantly improved our ability to identify and reach these vulnerable children over the past 13 years. Following heart surgery, 68% of the families we support are lifted out of poverty. This transformation profoundly benefits the mothers, creating new opportunities and fostering community development. We are deeply grateful for FedEx’s dedicated support, which has been instrumental in our mission to ensure early detection of CHDs for all children and to aid their families nationwide.”
In addition to the FedEx Delivers Heartbeats program, the company’s collaboration with VCF in Vietnam extends to programs including the FedEx Bring Smiles to the Hearts and the FedEx Cares Purple Tote Campaign. In 2023, FedEx received the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Excellence Award from the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in recognition for exceptional commitment to assisting and strengthening communities across Vietnam.
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About FedEx Express
FedEx Express is one of the world’s largest express transportation companies, supplying fast and reliable delivery to more than 220 countries and territories. FedEx Express uses a global air-and-ground network to speed the delivery of time-sensitive shipments by a definite time and date.
About FedEx Vietnam
Since its establishment in 1994, FedEx Vietnam has been a key player in fostering connections between Vietnam and the global market through its swift and reliable logistics services. For the past three decades, FedEx has been empowering Vietnamese businesses to achieve success in their cross-border trade efforts. Beyond logistics, FedEx has also contributed to the growth of Vietnamese people and communities. Guided by the iconic ‘People-Service-Profit (PSP) Philosophy’, FedEx Vietnam places a strong emphasis on creating an environment where individuals are recognized for their achievements and provided with growth opportunities for them to thrive. FedEx celebrates 30 years of operations in Vietnam, the company remains steadfast in advancing Vietnam’s logistics infrastructure, supporting local businesses, and bringing positive change to the community it serves
About The VinaCapital Foundation
The VinaCapital Foundation (VCF) is a USA-registered 501-c3 public charitable organization, licensed as an international non-governmental organization in Vietnam. Founded in 2006, VCF’s mission is to create healthcare and education solutions to transform the lives of underserved and marginalized children and women in Vietnam. The work of VCF touches the lives of millions of Vietnamese in 63 provinces every year. We invest in 3 areas:
- Grassroots medical programs: Heartbeat Vietnam, which funds children’s heart surgeries, including pre-and post-operative care; Rural Outreach Clinics, which provides free health examination for children in remote areas; Care to Rise, which accesses, protects, encourages, and provides long-term care to Covid-19 orphans until adulthood; and Grassroots Assistance with specialized care, nutrition and psychosocial activities for children and their parents.
- Healthcare capacity building programs: Survive to Thrive - Critical Response, which provides hospitals training and equipment for emergency and neonatal care; Clean Water installs filtration systems to provide potable water for underserved communities; National Emergencies, which organizes and implements disaster and pandemic relief.
- Education programs: Brighter Path educates and transforms ethnic minority female students with scholarships, mentoring, and Annual Empowerment Meeting; while Brighter Path Girls’ Clubs provide life-changing knowledge and soft skills training in legal rights, sexual and reproductive health, financial literacy, and leadership so they become agents of change in their rural communities.
VCF’s vision is a thriving Vietnam where all children and women are healthy, educated, and empowered to benefit from economic growth and contribute to sustainable improvements in their communities. Across every program runs deep commitments to children’s and women’s rights, gender equality, improved nutrition, environmental protection, and poverty reduction. VCF is committed to building a vibrant middle class.
Website: www.vinacapitalfoundation.org
[1] Targeted provinces: Dong Thap, Cao Bang, Quang Nam, Nghe An, Gia Lai, Quang Ngai, Thai Nguyen, Son La, Lang Son, Ha Giang, Ninh Thuan, Lam Dong, Kien Giang, Binh Dinh, Khanh Hoa, Phu Yen, Ben Tre, Tien Giang, Lai Chau, Dak Lak, Quang Nam, Binh Thuan, Tra Vinh, Quang Binh, Dien Bien, Soc Trang, Kien Giang, Quang Ngai, Kon Tum, Quang Binh and Bac Kan.