ASHENEWS reports that a non-governmental organisation, Positive Care and Development Foundation (PCDF) says about 10,000 babies are born with clubfoot in Nigeria annually.
The Programme Coordinator of Positive Care and Development Foundation (PCDF), Dr Esse Nwakanma stated this on Monday during a press briefing to mark the World Clubfoot Day celebration in Minna, Niger State.
Considered one of the most common forms of birth defect, club foot causes one or both feet to turn inward and down.
Although the exact causes are unknown, genetic factors are often linked to the condition.
Clubfoot is one of the most common birth defects and a major cause of physical disability globally. The vast majority of cases are diagnosed at birth and occur in otherwise healthy babies. Clubfoot is easily identifiable by the way the feet face inward and downward.
If left untreated, it can result in a physical disability which makes walking extremely difficult and painful. However, the position of their feet is the only medical obstacle preventing most children with clubfoot from living fully functional, productive lives.
Explaining PCDF’s approach to addressing this issue, he said that the foundation is in collaboration with MiracleFeet, a global organisation solely dedicated to clubfoot treatment to enable access to treatment for clubfoot, especially at the grassroots level.
He said, “In Nigeria, it is estimated that more than 10,000 children are born with clubfoot each year. Positive Care and Development Foundation (PCDF) collaborate with MiracleFeet to see that children with clubfoot can access this Care in their locality.”
He noted that in 2023, PCDF partnered with MiracleFeet to offer free clubfoot treatment to children in Niger and Kwara States across eight selected hospitals.
“PCDF has currently enrolled and retained 142 clubfoot children in care across 8 facilities including Federal Medical Centre Bida and the IBB Specialist Hospital Minna,” he said.
MiracleFeet estimates over 10,000 new cases of club foot per year in Nigeria.
The condition is treatable in 95 per cent of cases where a series of casts are done to reposition the feet, followed by a brace worn at night.
The organisation also estimates that there are 9.8 million people alive today who were born with the defect, of those 7.8 million live with a disability due to lack of access to proper treatment.
“An estimated 200,000 children are born with clubfoot globally.
“There is significant variation in prevalence rates around the world, depending on region, but a 2023 meta-analysis has given an estimated global prevalence rate of approximately 1 in every 800 births,” the organisation said.
