Every year, hundreds of babies in Mongolia are born with congenital heart disease, one of the leading causes of infant mortality in the country. Roughly 2.4% require specialised surgery to survive within the first weeks or months of life. Yet until recently, the specialised capability did not exist locally. Families were forced to travel abroad for treatment, facing high costs and significant financial hardship.
In 2025, that reality changed. Working closely with the Mongolia Country Office, the Supply Chain Management Unit (SCMU) of UNFPA helped secure highly specialised surgical equipment to establish the first operation unit of its kind in the country. Jointly funded with support from the Government of Mongolia and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, the project created the country's first dedicated infant open-heart surgery ward at the National Centre for Maternal and Child Health (NCMCH) in Ulaanbaatar.
Sourcing this advanced technology required an enormous logistical effort. Equipment had to be procured from multiple international manufacturers and transported across vast distances under harsh winter conditions and strict import requirements. SCMU and Mongolian CO managed the entire end-to-end supply chain: from supplier engagement and international freight to customs clearance, installation, and commissioning. Equipped with advanced heart-lung machines, neonatal ventilators, patient monitoring systems, anesthesia equipment, and precision surgical instruments, the new unit was fully tested before opening its doors.
Within weeks of opening, the new ward successfully performed 11 infant open-heart surgeries, giving newborns and their families access to life-saving treatment. Beyond reducing the financial burden on families, the facility is strengthening Mongolia's long-term health system by building national clinical capacity, supporting specialist training and creating a sustainable centre of excellence for paediatric cardiac care. Today, babies who once had little hope of receiving timely treatment can undergo complex surgery close to home, surrounded by their families and cared for by Mongolian specialists.
This achievement demonstrates that supply chains do far more than move products. When they are strategically designed and expertly managed, they deliver something far more valuable: the infrastructure, quality technology and confidence that enable countries to provide advanced, life-saving healthcare for generations to come.
For Mongolia's smallest hearts, an integrated supply chain has become the heartbeat of a stronger health system.
