By Murugi Ndwiga, Eastern Region
Parents have been urged to seek early medical treatment for children born with club foot, a condition that experts say is fully treatable if diagnosed promptly.
This call comes as Kenya joined the rest of the world in marking World Club Foot Day, with residents of Embu County celebrating renewed hope, thanks to a robust intervention by the Club Foot Foundation and its partners.
During an event held at Embu Level 5 Hospital, key stakeholders in disability care emphasized the importance of early intervention and civic education to combat myths and stigma around the condition.
Benson Agesa, a planning officer at the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK), revealed that Embu County was chosen as the launch site for a new initiative dubbed ACCESS after data from the Kenya Bureau of Statistics showed it has the highest disability rate in the country — 4.4%, compared to the national average of 2.2%.
“We want to ensure that every child born with Club Foot in Embu gets access to free, quality treatment. Early treatment is crucial for full recovery,” said Agesa.
The ACCESS Project, run in partnership with the Christian Blind Mission, is aimed at increasing access to club foot treatment and raising awareness about the condition. Agesa said the initiative has recorded a 90% success rate among treated patients since its inception in Embu in 2006.
Dr. Benjamin Kisilu, Chief Officer of Medical Services at Embu Level 5 Hospital, urged parents to stop hiding children with Club Foot and bring them forward for treatment.
“Club foot is not caused by curses or witchcraft. It is a treatable medical condition, especially when detected early,” Kisilu emphasized.
Stephen Kariuki, a physiotherapist and coordinator for Club Foot Care for Kenya, an affiliate of Hopewalk (USA), echoed these sentiments. He said globally, one child is born with Club Foot every three seconds, and in Kenya, the condition affects one in every 100, 000 births.
“Across the country, we have 36 club foot clinics – except in North Eastern Kenya. Our mission is to eradicate the condition entirely,” Kariuki stated.
He praised the Ponseti method, a non-surgical technique introduced in 1999, for its remarkable success rate. “Over 17,000 patients have been enrolled in our program nationwide, with 998 in Embu alone,” Kariuki noted.
Despite the progress, Kariuki emphasized the need for intensified public education to dispel harmful myths and ensure early diagnosis. “The earlier the treatment starts, the higher the chances of complete recovery without surgery,” he said.
One parent, who preferred anonymity, shared her emotional story of watching her child walk for the first time after two years of immobility due to club foot. “I thank the doctors who treated my child. To fellow parents: don’t hide your children. Seek help and give them a chance to live a normal life,” she urged.
With the collaborative effort between government and health organizations, Embu County is becoming a beacon of hope for children with disabilities — one healed step at a time.