Clubfoot is a birth defect that twists the foot downward and inward. While it cannot be prevented, children born with clubfoot will likely be able to take their first steps on completely straight feet under proper treatment and care. It is estimated over 1,130 children are born with clubfoot every year in Ghana. Since the program began, the Ghana Clubfoot program has enrolled more than 7,700 children in treatment.
Hope Walks’ partners treat children with clubfoot using the gold-standard Ponseti method of casts and braces. This minimally invasive procedure uses weekly casts to straighten the feet over several weeks or months. Once straight, the child wears a brace up to the age of five to ensure the feet don’t relapse.
The Ghana Clubfoot Program began in 2008 as a partnership between CURE International and the Foundation for Orthopedics and Complex Spine. A partnership with St John of God Hospital was established in 2018. Around the same time, Cure Clubfoot Program was spun off into an independent NGO, Hope Walks. With a strong desire to expand the program, an agreement between Hope Walks and the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) was signed in 2021. However, at this point, only about 15% of children born with clubfoot are enrolled for treatment before they reach one year of age. Hope Walks in partnership with CHAG operates 5 clinics in Ghana; 2 in Accra (Greater-Accra Region), 1 in Kumasi (Ashanti Region), 1 in (Duayaw-Nkwanta) and 1 in Tamale (Northern Region).
As the largest Christian provider of clubfoot care, the Hope Walks and Christian Health Association of Ghana extended their partnership and assistance to the Orthopedics and Trauma unit of the Tamale Teaching in the Northern Region. Given this partnership program, staff at the orthopaedics and Trauma unit receive free training on Clubfoot Management using the Ponseti Method to build their Knowledge and Capacity in the treatment of Clubfoot.
The Tamale Teaching Hospital serves as the only referral facility for (Upper West, Upper East, North-East, Savannah, parts of Oti, and Bono East.
According to the Programs Manager, of Hope Walks Mrs. Nana Afua Adutwumwaa Adjetey, Hope Walks combines quality clubfoot treatment with compassionate care from clubfoot clinic Parent Advisors while empowering local healthcare workers and counselling parents and caregivers.
She explained that the stigmatization of children with clubfoot should be eradicated as a matter of urgency and parents must know that the treatment of clubfoot is free at their five treatment centres including the Tamale Teaching Hospital where transportation allowance is given to vulnerable parents.
She further explained that untreated clubfoot becomes a disability and a burden to the family, associated with difficulty in walking, pain, persistent deformity, calluses, chronic infections, societal ostracizing and lack of educational opportunity. This means that the impact is never just physical but relational, social, and financial.
Meanwhile, the head of the Orthopedics and Trauma Unit at the Tamale Teaching Hospital Dr. Tolgou Yempabe advised that clubfoot is not witchcraft or an evil disease, therefore parents with children of clubfoot should come to the Tamale Teaching Hospital for free treatment before it becomes too late.
“Clubfoot can always be corrected at any stage but it is advisable to seek treatment immediately after birth when it is identified by the midwives”, Dr. Tolgou added.
The Acting Medical Director of Hope Walks, Dr. Prosper Moh gave an overview of the project saying clubfoot is curable and parents must endeavour to take advantage of the support Hope Walks is offering with regards to the free treatment and transportation for vulnerable parents of clubfoot patients.
However, some exciting parents whose children received the free treatment expressed their joy and appreciation to Hope Walks for this “Messiahahip”, saying Hope Walks have saved them from losing their marriages, financial burdens that come with disability in children, and societal stigma among other ill-treatment.
Hope Walks officially became an independent organization in 2019 but grew out of an existing clubfoot program that began in 2006. Since the program began, they have enrolled more than 140,000 kids on clubfoot treatment.
By: Prince Kwame Tamakloe/Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
