Clubfoot Project
Club Foot Treatment Program
The Clubfoot Project is a project about correcting a deformity in young children, using the Ponseti Method. The project is an initiative by Dr. Shafique Pirani, an Orthopaedic Surgeon, born in Uganda and based in Vancouver, Canada.
Congenital Clubfoot is one type of a lower leg deformity of unidentified causes that occurs in otherwise healthy infants. It is one of the most common congenital disorders. Clubfoot causes the foot to turn inward and point downward. Shortened tendons and ligaments on the inside of the lower leg restrict outward movement and cause the foot to turn inward. Tight Achilles tendons cause the foot to point downward.
The Rotary Club of Burnaby supported this project because, neglected clubfeet can have a dramatic effect on quality of life, particularly in developing countries where effective treatment is seldom available and rehabilitation for people with disabilities is limited. Physical impairment results in decreased ambulation and the inability to perform basic tasks such as obtaining food and water. Disability leads to dependency in activities of daily living with significant economic impact on both the family and the village. Furthermore, the visible physical and functional differences in individuals with clubfoot are associated with considerable social stigma. Children with locomotor disability are less likely to be able to access education. Girl children are vulnerable to social, physical and sexual abuse, and are even less likely to achieve education than boys with the disability.
The Rotary Club of Burnaby has supported this project, starting in 1999, by raising over $50,000 for this endeavour. Althought the origins of this project began in Uganda, the benefits of this support are being spread throughout other countries in Africa and Asia, even today.
For more information about Clubfoot and the project, please see the links below: