2000 babies born with Clubfoot disease – Govt

By Ben Musanje

6^th April 2022

At least 2000 babies in Uganda are born annually with foot deformity known as Clubfoot according to the government.

In a media breakfast meeting at the Ministry of Health’s Loudel Tower in Wandegeya today, Henry Musoke, the National Coordinator for the National Clubfoot Program Uganda –NCPU said that highly populated areas like Wakiso, Kampala, Jnja, Mbale and Mbarara among others experience the highest number of newborn with clubfoot disease while those with sparsely populated like Moroto, Bundibugyo, and Bidibidi have few clubfoot disease.

Clubfoot disease is a deformed foot which is twisted so that the sole cannot be flat on the ground and boys are more affected than girls.

According to NCPU, clubfoot disease occurs to one in 1800 live births in Uganda and most of the children with this disease are hidden away from the treatment.

Musoke says that less than 30 percent of the clubfoot could be converted fully without the surgeon by involving them largely into manipulations, casting, tenotomy and foot abduction braces.

He further says that the disease can be treated with over 3100 children so far being enrolled into treatment.

Dr Charles Olaro, the Director Curative Services in the Ministry of Health says that they have put in place all the necessary equipment to ensure that services for clubfoot treatment are in all the specified 28 hospitals and three clinics in the country.