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The Mater Heart Run

The Mater Cardiac Program began 20 years ago, when The Mater Hospital realized that very little cardiac work of good quality was being carried out in the country. Patients who were financially endowed had to go overseas for treatment. Large majority, many of them children, had no recourse to quality Medicare and were destined to a sickly life and premature death.

The Mater Hospital therefore, started a cardiac program in 1995 to cater for children from economically disadvantaged background and the first open-heart surgery was performed in 1996. This was in line with the Values of the Sisters of Mercy, which emphasize on compassion for all and seek to uplift the lives of the underprivileged in the society.

To date over 3,000 heart procedures have been performed courtesy of the support from well-wishers. Most of these surgeries were done at Mater Hospital by Kenyan doctors, with a few being referred overseas or done by visiting Cardiologists. The Mater Heart Run was started in 2002 as one of the main fundraising avenues for the Cardiac program. Initially held only in Nairobi, the Heart Run has grown over the years and is now held in TEN (10) different towns namely; Nairobi, Mombasa, Machakos, Kakamega, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Nyeri, Kericho & Bomet.

In 2008, the Hospital started free cardiac outreach screening camps all over the country to screen for heart ailments and educate the community about the acquired heart disease, which is preventable, but could lead to death if ignored.

Donations can be channeled through:

For more information, contact us on: 0732 163085, 0719 073013 or 0793 310052 Email: heartrun@materkenya.com