Our Approach
NeuroKids is building a scalable health systems strengthening model for pediatric neurosurgical care in low-resource settings, helping more children with hydrocephalus and spina bifida access life-saving treatment.
Founded around the pioneering work of pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin Warf, NeuroKids partners with hospitals, surgeons, ministries of health, and local care teams to strengthen the full continuum of care from early identification and referral to surgery, follow-up care, caregiver education, and long-term clinical capacity.
At the center of this work is Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy with Choroid Plexus Cauterization (ETV/CPC), also known as the Warf procedure. Pioneered by Dr. Warf, this innovative surgical approach can help many children avoid lifelong dependence on implanted shunts, which frequently fail in low-resource settings. Avoiding lifelong shunt dependence can be critical for a child’s long-term survival and quality of life while reducing the emotional and financial burden repeated emergency surgeries place on families already facing significant barriers to care.
But NeuroKids’ work goes beyond surgery alone.
Too many children with hydrocephalus never reach treatment because the systems needed to identify, refer, and support them do not yet exist. Families may live far from specialized hospitals, referral pathways are often fragmented, and children can remain invisible to the health system until it is too late.
That is why NeuroKids focuses on strengthening the systems surrounding care, not just the procedure itself.
Our approach includes:
- training neurosurgeons and surgical teams
- strengthening referral and follow-up systems
- supporting caregiver education and patient navigation
- partnering with frontline health workers and community providers
- improving clinical data and quality monitoring
- working with ministries of health and hospital leaders to strengthen systems and policies
- building long-term local and regional capacity
Rather than relying on short-term medical missions, NeuroKids invests in durable local systems designed to change the future of care. Neurosurgeons are trained directly within their own hospitals and continue receiving long-term mentorship and remote support as they build expertise caring for children in their own communities. Over time, many become trainers and mentors themselves, helping expand sustainable regional networks of pediatric neurosurgical care and ensuring expertise remains embedded locally for generations to come.
By strengthening local leadership, supporting public health systems, and helping children reach care earlier, NeuroKids is working toward a future where life-saving pediatric neurosurgical care is accessible no matter where a child is born.
Cost-Effective, Life-Saving Care
Hydrocephalus treatment is among the most cost-effective investments in global child health. Research has shown that approximately $1,000 invested can restore more than 10 years of healthy life for children while helping prevent lifelong disability and repeated medical crises.
This places hydrocephalus treatment in the same highly cost-effective range as other globally prioritized essential surgeries, including cataract surgery, cleft repair, hernia repair, and emergency caesarean delivery.
But NeuroKids is not just investing in surgeries. We are investing in sustainable systems of care.
By training local surgical teams, strengthening referral and follow-up systems, and building long-term capacity within hospitals and health systems, NeuroKids helps reduce the cost of care over time while expanding access for more children.
Training surgeons locally can reduce the cost per surgery by nearly 90% over a decade while building permanent surgical capacity in underserved regions.
Every investment in NeuroKids helps build stronger local systems that continue saving children’s lives for years to come.
Donate
Donate now and join us in our mission to make it possible for children with hydrocephalus and spina bifida to live longer and better lives. Together, we can make a difference that lasts a lifetime.
