A Global nonprofit organisation – MiracleFeet has revealed that about 200,000 babies are born with clubfoot yearly, and up to 90 per cent of them live in low- and middle-income countries, where access to timely, and quality treatment remains limited.

In Nigeria, more than 10,000 children are born each year with clubfoot, yet many don’t receive the treatment they need. Clubfoot is a congenital condition that causes one or both feet to turn inward and downward. Without treatment, it leads to permanent disability, social stigma, and economic hardship.

However, with early intervention using the Ponseti Method, a non-surgical, low-cost technique developed by Dr Ignacio Ponseti, over 95 per cent of cases can be corrected effectively, giving children the ability to walk, run, live active and productive lives.

Speaking at the 2025 World Clubfoot Day, Senior Programme Field Officer and Country Representative for MiracleFeet in Nigeria, Dr Ekene Isikaku, called on the Federal Government to mainstream clubfoot treatment into routine maternal and child health services.

Isikaku said to eliminate untreated clubfoot, the private sector and non-governmental organisations must work together with the government at all levels to integrate clubfoot services into the national health system and ensure long-term sustainability.

She said, “This is a top priority for the Nigeria Clubfoot partners in the next few years. We need to mobilise public and private stakeholders to prioritise Clubfoot within the Universal Health Coverage agenda. Current progress shows what is possible when we collaborate.”

Isikaku emphasised the need to establish and sustain clinics in public hospitals across all states, allocate more trained personnel at every level of care, including tertiary, secondary and primary care.

She called for deeper collaboration with the government at all levels to accelerate the national demand and scale-up of clubfoot care.
Isikaku noted that World Clubfoot Day provides an option to raise awareness about one of the most common yet treatable birth conditions affecting children worldwide.

According to her, the organisation collaborates with state and federal hospitals to train health professionals in the gold-standard Ponseti method in collaboration with government accredited hospitals, as well as donate braces and casting materials for treatment; support parent-led groups and parental education that provide psychosocial support and reduce stigma.

She also stated that through collaborative efforts, partners have achieved significant progress including the establishment of high-quality treatment in over 70 clinics across 30 states, training over 3,000 healthcare professionals in Ponseti technique and parent education, supporting over 6,000 children with clubfoot treatment, braces, and follow-up care.

Isikaku noted that despite this multi-faceted approach and achievements, treatment coverage in Nigeria remains low, and thousands of children are still at risk of living with preventable disability.

She explained that the group is collaborating with community health workers to raise awareness and establish early referral pathways, partnering with government to strengthen and mainstream clubfoot treatment.

Also speaking, Executive Secretary of Taraba State Health Services Management Board and WACHEF Board Chairman, Dr Garba Danjuma, said no child deserves to live with a disability that can be prevented, no parent should feel hopeless and no health system should ignore a solution as cost-effective and proven as the Ponseti method.

MiracleFeet and implementing partners in Nigeria have established over 70 clubfoot treatment clinics nationwide, steadily increasing access to care for children in both urban and remote communities.

Their approach focuses on systemic health change, working through public institutions to embed clubfoot treatment into national health structures and increase government leadership, socio-cultural myths and false beliefs that delay treatment can be tackled, creating an informed society where no child is left behind due to a treatable condition.