From TCNEWS
To achieve a hitch free hybrid surveillance programme on Clubfoot, participants who attended the Clubfoot Surveillance, Early Detection And Referral Training in Umuahia, Abia State, in celebration of the World Clubfoot Day, have called for an effective and efficient collaboration between the World Health Organization, National Primary Healthcare Development Agency and The Straight Child Foundation, TSCF.
Celebrated on June 3 annually, the World Clubfoot Day, which has the 2024 celebration theme as, “Empowering life: Steps to Clubfoot Freedom”, was designed to raise awareness about clubfoot and underscore the importance of early detection, referral, and timely treatment.
The participants who were staff of Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and the Health Authority Secretaries, drawn from the 17 Local Government Areas of the State, also harped on the need to step down Clubfoot detection trainings to the Communities, engaging the community members, wives of traditional rulers, social mobilization officers at the L.G.As, Ward Development Committees, Disease Surveillance Officers.
According to them also, integrating Clubfoot into childhood programmes like the Integrated Childhood Illnesses and developing a special Clubfoot reporting template would also see to the actualization of the year 2030 run free initiative.
In a brief speech during the training, the Vision bearer of The Straight Child Foundation, TSCF Dr. Mrs Peace Amaraegbulam, who appreciated the support of Miraclefeet Inc and the partnership with Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, which saw to the success of the training, decried that Nigeria is faced with the problem of Clubfoot case data collection.
She said that The Straight Child Foundation desired to have Clubfoot surveillance report data in Abia State to serve as a prototype for other states across the nation.
Pix: A cross section of members of TSCF with the vision bearer, Dr. Mrs Peace Amaraegbulam (m).
She expressed optimism that the collaboration with the State Primary Healthcare Development Agency would yield a positive result as it affects the data collection of Clubfoot cases.
Speaking also, the Executive Secretary, Abia State Primary Healthcare Development Agency Dr. Kalu U. Kalu encouraged the participants to carry the message of early detection of Clubfoot to the nooks and crannies of the state, sensitizing the people that there is hope for children with Clubfoot.
He appreciated The Straight Child Foundation on its efforts to get rid of Clubfoot in the society and assured that his Agency, being the one that is closer to the people at the grassroots would always collaborate with the TSCF.
Also in a brief speech, the Director of Physiotherapy and TSCF Team Leader, Dr Uchenna Oluwatosin, disclosed that the Clubfoot Surveillance, Early Detection And Referral Training, which she described as a strategic approach to capture the entire states, was being replicated in all TSCF centres across the federation.
She tasked the participants to show commitment in the fight against Clubfoot in the state.
Earlier in a talk entitled, “Clubfoot surveillance, early detection and referral, the Project Supervisor of The Straight Child Foundation, Mr Bright Amadi, who pointed out that starting Clubfoot treatment shortly after birth gives the affected children the best chance to lead a disability-free life, harped on the need for the maternal and newborn health community to prioritize congenital anomalies.
Amadi who also touched on Ponseti method of treatment including manipulation and casting with percutaneous Achilles tenotomy as needed, pointed out that the method is a safe, effective and low-cost treatment for initial correction of neglected idiopathic clubfoot.
While calling on the participants to be more proactive with the task of getting rid of Clubfoot in the Nigerian society, Amadi, reminded them that without treatment, children with Clubfoot could face severe disability, stigma, and discrimination; and are less likely to enjoy the benefits of education and healthcare; and also are at a much higher risk of neglect, poverty, and abuse.
