‘Dependable’ Fai Collins now champions Clubfoot Awareness in Cameroon
Fai Collins, one of the best footballers in the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon is now the ambassador for clubfoot with the Cameroon Clubfoot Care Project for a year beginning July 2022 to June 2023. The star now commonly referred to as “Dependable Fai Collins” by football fans across the globe, was declared Clubfoot Ambassador during a ceremony at Mboppi Baptist Hospital Douala on July 5, 2022. The objective of the event was to drill the footballer on the situation and treatment of clubfoot in Cameroon.
Speaking at the event, the Clinical Supervisor of the Cameroon Clubfoot Care Project, Dr. Ndasi Henry disclosed that “About one hundred thousand births are recorded in Cameroon every year, with one child born with clubfoot out of this 100.000 births. By extension, an estimated 800 children are born with clubfoot in Cameroon yearly with only a few of them access treatment due to ignorance, wrong myths, and poverty,” he added.
Dr. Ndasi explained that clubfoot is a foot deformity which a child is born with the foot or feet twisted inwards and it affects mostly male children; it has no cause and cannot be prevented with treatment being the best solution. He said the Cameroon Clubfoot Care Project since 2014 till date has treated over 3000 children with clubfoot using the Ponseti method which is proven to have a success rate of 95% and is cheaper. He noted that the project has as one of its main activities to raise awareness of clubfoot, reason why Fai Collins, being a football star, is the best person to champion awareness on the deformity to demystify the myths on clubfoot and encourage parents to ensure early identification, referrals and treatment.
Adding his voice to that of the clinical supervisor, the Coordinator of the Cameroon Clubfoot Care Project, Mr. Tamon James noted that the choice of Fai Collins for the project was because he is a good footballer whom many people love and can believe in the information that he gives out. He said Fai Collins is expected to join the Cameroon Clubfoot Care Project and the Ministry of Public Health to educate the public on clubfoot and increase access to treatment.
In an interview with Fai Collins, he said it is important to raise awareness on clubfoot so that parents will have access to treatment which will enable the children to grow like their peers and equally play football like him. “It is an honor and recognition for me to be chosen as the clubfoot ambassador that is why I did not hesitate to accept the request from the CBC Health Services”. He promised to use his ability and his platforms to raise awareness on the deformity. In his awareness message to the public, he stated that “You can be like me. Clubfoot is not a curse but it can lead to permanent disability if not treated, early treatment of clubfoot using the Ponseti method is best, take every child with clubfoot to a clinic for treatment”.
Earlier, the Administrator of the Mboppi Baptist Hospital, representative of the Director of CBC Health Services at the event, Physiotherapy staff from the partner clinics in Douala, some hospital staff, and the project team gave Fai Collins a warm welcome to the hospital and took him to some of the departments of the hospital to appraise their activities.
The event ended with publicity production on clubfoot using Fai Collins, which production will be used on billboards and aired on radio, and TV stations. The activity is implemented, thanks to support from CBM.