Clubfoot: a common foot malformation
“My name’s Madi Sandwidi. I’m 42 and live with my wife and four children, including our three-year-old son, Moussa. I’m a farmer, and my wife takes care of our home. We have a modest income, so we live in an informal settlement in Pouytenga, a town in central-east Burkina Faso. Our house has no running water or electricity.
When our son Moussa was born with a foot malformation, we were very upset. At first, we thought it was a curse, or the work of an evil spirit, and we didn’t show him as much affection as we did his sister and brother. Then, fortunately, in February 2022, health workers from Pouytenga held an awareness session.
“After the first session, we realised it affects people everywhere. The talk lifted our spirits, and we were eager to see the promising results of this method. That’s when they referred us to Tenkodogo Regional Hospital for treatment.”
Effective medical care-management
At Tenkodogo Regional Hospital, HI’s clubfoot advisor explained the whole process and what to expect using a picture box showing each stage of the treatment. Thanks to HI’s support, Moussa received care free of charge.
We went through the whole process, attended every appointment and followed all the advice given to us by the medical and HI teams, who made regular home visits.
“After the third casting, we saw our son’s feet begin to change. Then, he had surgery, and next — the biggest step — he had to keep on wearing corrective shoes for three years. These methods corrected Moussa’s feet, and he walks without problems, like any other child.”
Since our son’s treatment, my wife and I have become community advocates, raising awareness of childhood disabling conditions. We’ve even referred children with limb malformations or paralysis to the rehabilitation centre. Awareness is crucial — without it, many children may never walk and could live with permanent foot malformations.”
Six years of helping children
In 2017, 958 children1 were born with clubfoot in Burkina Faso, but fewer than 15% had access to quality treatment, according to data from the Global Clubfoot Initiative. Since 2019, HI, in partnership with the NGO Hope Walks and Tenkodogo Regional Hospital, has implemented a Health and Rehabilitation project to improve access to quality treatment for children under two with clubfoot in Burkina Faso.
Thanks to the project, 80 children like Moussa Sandwidi have received treatment to correct their clubfoot. Teams raise community awareness, follow up families and train health workers. Among the 296 health professionals and members of disabled people’s organisations trained by HI to detect disabling conditions early in children under five are the community health workers who helped Moussa’s parents understand his malformation and access appropriate care. HI has also trained 11 staff at Tenkodogo Regional Hospital in clubfoot care management.
Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, Health Bulletin, 2022
