The project receives around 1,000 eligible pacemakers annually, with approximately 300 refurbished for use this year.

Timir Baman and Kim Eagle from the University of Michigan launched Project My Heart Your Heart, aimed at sterilizing and reconditioning used pacemakers for distribution in impoverished regions.

This initiative seeks to address global health disparities and enhance access to life-saving cardiac care for those in need.

Cardiovascular disease significantly impacts low- and middle-income countries, where 80% of the 20 million annual deaths from this condition occur due to limited access to essential medical devices like pacemakers.

In high-income countries, up to 1,000 patients per million receive pacemakers each year, while in stark contrast, only about 3 per million benefit from such devices in low-income nations.

Doctors in Nigeria and Mexico report that many patients cannot afford pacemaker procedures, often having to pay out of pocket.

Project My Heart Your Heart collaborates with charities to collect, sterilize, and donate pacemakers, ensuring a rigorous testing and refurbishment process.

The first reconditioned pacemaker was implanted in Kenya in 2018, yielding promising initial trial results that showed low infection rates and no reported malfunctions.

The trial aims to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of refurbished devices, with hopes of establishing this practice as standard in high-need countries.

Ethical and regulatory approvals were required for the trial, which faced challenges due to existing informal reuse practices that have been common in resource-poor countries.

Patients participating in the trial are informed they may receive refurbished devices and generally express receptiveness, valuing the opportunity for treatment over inaction.

Crawford emphasizes that recycled devices can save lives, providing critical treatment options to patients who would otherwise receive none.