Cameroon Clubfoot Care

The purpose of the CCC project is that children born with club foot access care and treatment in recognized specialized clinics in Cameroon. 
It is expected that after the treatment of clubfoot these children access and participate in social inclusion opportunities and education without discrimination.
 This purpose is being attained through three result areas viz;

• Access to quality treatment by families in Cameroon,
• Awareness and utilization of available services by community members in project’s catchment areas and
• Development of partnerships for sustainability purposes.

To attain these results the project is doing the following;

• Providing supplies and consumables(soft rolls, POP and braces) for the 4 CCC clinics ,
• Providing treatment subsidies to very poor families of children with neglected clubfoot,
• Organising refresher courses on the treatment of clubfoot using the Ponseti technique for its clinic and affiliate centers staff.
• Is undertaking wide awareness campaigns through the audio visual and print media, posters and education leaflets and in churches, professional, social and other gatherings
• Involving spiritual, local and traditional authorities to break down cultural beliefs and traditional barriers to service uptake.
• Lastly the project is developing partnerships with other institutions for the harmonization of treatment of clubfoot using the ponseti technique.

The project has developed and formalized partnerships with three institutions which are now affiliate centers (Presbyterian General Hospital, Kumba, St John of God Hospital, Nguti and Associated Rehabilitation Center for the Handicapped (ARCH), Buea. 
The project continues to develop more partnerships for harmonization of treatment of clubfoot using the ponseti technique in the whole country after 2015.
Since the start of the project more than 50 children with clubfeet are currently undergoing treatment in the clinics.

Quality services are provided in these facilities thanks to two full time Orthopaedic Surgeons, orthopaedic officers, Physiotherapists and Assistant physiotherapists available in these facilities.
WHAT IS THIS CLUBFOOT? 
Clubfoot is a foot deformity in which a child is born with feet twisted inwards and is one of the most common physical disabilities affecting children in many African countries including Cameroon with so many of them in the North West Region.
TREATMENT

• Clubfoot can be corrected soon after birth and with proper treatment the foot can return to its right position and function as commonly expected.
• Club foot in children is corrected using the ponseti method a non-surgical method for children zero to two years using gentle manipulations, casting and bracing of the clubfeet.
• Neglected clubfoot in children above 2 years is treated using the surgical method.
• These are the methods that the CCC is using in all its 4 clinics.
• Presently more than 30 children are being treated across the region.

Even though it is the easiest deformity to correct in children, it can lead to a permanent disability if neglected.
BARRIERS TO SERVICE UPTAKE

• Ignorance of services
• Complains of lack of finances
• Non compliance

• Be sensitive and identify and refer children born with the clubfoot deformity to clubfoot clinics. These clinics are: BBH Kumbo, Mbingo Baptist Hospital, SAJOCAH Bafut and Mutengene Baptist Hospital
• Go immediately to a clubfoot clinic immediately your child is born with the clubfoot deformity
• Check in your community and neighbourhood and refer children with the clubfoot deformity to clubfoot clinics
• Encourage those who have started treatment to follow the treatment process from start to finish.
• It is hoped that everybody should be sensitive to identify and refer children with club feet to the different facilities to prevent children born with clubfeet from ending up with lifelong disabilities and exclusion from community life.