Uganda Sustainable Clubfoot Care Project (USCCP)

Neglected clubfoot is a leading cause of preventable musculoskeletal disability in Uganda. Without treatment, children with clubfoot experience difficulty walking, social stigma, and limited opportunities for education and employment.

Several key barriers contribute to untreated clubfoot:

• Limited awareness among parents and healthcare providers
• Lack of trained personnel to diagnose and treat the condition
• Inconsistent access to braces and casting materials
• Transportation and financial constraints preventing families from seeking treatment

USCCP was designed to overcome these barriers and ensure every child in Uganda has access to life-changing clubfoot care.

USCCP focused on sustainability and capacity-building by embedding clubfoot treatment within Uganda’s existing healthcare system. The project emphasized:

• Training healthcare providers in the Ponseti Method across all regions of Uganda
• Integrating clubfoot care into medical and paramedical education to ensure future generations of professionals are equipped with treatment knowledge
• Establishing dedicated clubfoot clinics in 40 hospitals across Uganda
• Raising public awareness to ensure early diagnosis and treatment access

This approach not only helped thousands of children but also ensured long-term sustainability by making clubfoot care a standard part of Uganda’s healthcare system.

USCCP implemented a range of activities to address clubfoot care, including:

👣 Training & Education: Developed Ponseti Method training modules for 39 medical, nursing, and paramedical schools. Trained over 1,000 healthcare workers and integrated clubfoot care into national curricula.

👣 Clinic Establishment: Opened 40 clubfoot clinics in hospitals across Uganda, equipping them with necessary resources.

👣 Public Awareness Campaigns: Worked with the Ministry of Health to educate communities that clubfoot is treatable and care is free.

👣 Research & Evaluation: Conducted studies on incidence, treatment adherence, and long-term outcomes to improve program effectiveness.

🏥 Healthcare System Integration: Uganda’s Ministry of Health formally approved Ponseti clubfoot treatment for all hospitals.

📚 Education & Training: Over 3,149 students and 1,076 healthcare professionals trained in the Ponseti Method.

👶 Patient Impact: More than 3,200 children received life-changing clubfoot treatment.

🌍 Global Influence: The USCCP model has inspired similar clubfoot programs in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Kenya.

🩺 Treatment Success: Studies showed 86.3% correction rates for infants treated with Ponseti casting.

Through USCCP, Uganda has become a global leader in sustainable clubfoot care.