Stakeholder Engagement, Key to Prompting Uptake of Clubfoot Treatment
Stakeholders of the Cameroon Clubfoot Care Program (CCCP) have committed to raising awareness and engaging influential actors at all levels to enhance the identification, referrals and treatment of clubfoot in Cameroon. This was one of the key resolutions arrived at during the management and stakeholders’ meetings that took place at the CBC Health Services Resource Center Mvan, Yaoundé on September 16 and 17 respectively.
The meetings were chaired by Prof. Epée Emilienne, Chief of Service at the Sub Department of Neglected Tropical Diseases at the Ministry of Public Health representing Prof. Nko’ Ayissi Georges, Sub Director at the Sub Department of Neglected Tropical Diseases and co-chaired by Prof. Tih Pius Muffih, the CBC Health Services Supervisor of Projects. Present at the meetings to closely follow discussions was the Director of CBC Health Services, Mr. Ngum Samuel.
During the meeting, the new phase of the Program was presented by the CCCP Coordinator, Mr. Tamon James who told committee members that the new initiative to run for one year is funded by Hope and Healing International and implemented by the CBC Health Services and the Ministry of Public Health. He added that the Program will run in 6 regions (North West, West, Adamawa, Littoral, Centre and South West) of Cameroon with 400 children targeted for treatment.
Discussions on strategies for early clubfoot identification and referral for treatment and integration of clubfoot into health district activities took center stage during both meetings. After much deliberations and experience sharing on the successful integration of clubfoot into public health activities by the Regional Delegation of the Public Health for the West, it was realized that the key to effecting uptake of clubfoot services is mass awareness raising and the training and involvement of multiple stakeholders at various levels.
The stakeholder meeting was also characterized by a presentation of clubfoot data in the District Health Information Software (DHIS 2) by an official from the Ministry of Public Health which showed that not all clubfoot treatment data was keyed into the software. Consequently, stakeholders especially all clubfoot clinics staff were encouraged to input clubfoot treatment data into the DHIS 2 software.
The stakeholders included officials from the Ministry of Public Health, Regional Coordinators of Neglected tropical diseases, District Health authorities, Orthopedic surgeons, Leaders of Health facilities providing clubfoot treatment, Physiotherapists and parents of children treated of clubfoot.
One of the parents, Nadesh Mambo expressed her immense gratitude to all the stakeholders particularly the CBC Health Services, Hope and Healing International and the Ministry of Public Health for their collective efforts which have prevented her daughter and other children with clubfoot from ending up with permanent disabilities. She disclosed that she was so overwhelmed and emotional that such an important group of people dedicated their time and energy just to discuss ways to enable their children access effective treatment.
It should be noted that clubfoot is a birth deformity in which the child is born with the foot or feet turned inwards. It is treated using the Ponseti technique.
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