The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, inaugurated the Global Clubfoot Conference being organised by the CURE India in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in New Delhi (November 1, 2017).
The clubfoot is one of the most common orthopaedic birth defects. It can cause permanent disability if not treated early.
This affects the child’s mobility and confidence. Inevitably, education and schooling suffer - and the child cannot fulfil his or her potential.
In India the burden of disability affects more than 10 million people. The differently-abled or Divyang as we call them deserve equal opportunities in all avenues of life.
Mainstreaming their social and professional experience is a commitment for all of us. Having said that, many of these disabilities are preventable or curable - which is often forgotten.
Prevention, treatment and mainstreaming have to go in parallel.
Polio was once a serious cause of loco-motor disability, but over the past six years we have not had a single case of paralytic poliomyelitis.
Public hospitals are partnering with CURE International India to reach out to as many children as possible. The programme is now active in 29 states of India.
What is Clubfoot?- Clubfoot is a birth defect where one or both feet are rotated inwards and downwards. The affected foot, calf, and leg may be smaller than the other.
- Initial treatment is most often with the Ponseti method.
- The condition is less common among Chinese and more common among Maori. Males are affected about twice as often as females.
