Closing the Gap: Making Clubfoot Treatment More Accessible

The statistics are eye-opening, yet while more children are beginning treatment, too many are still missing out on the timely intervention they need. Over recent years, STEPS has witnessed critical barriers to access, particularly for children living in rural areas, where challenges compound timely intervention.

For many families, transport costs represent the most significant barrier to accessing life-changing clubfoot treatment. “A baby born with clubfoot requires multiple visits to a specialised clinic within the first few months of life. For families in rural areas, this often means long and costly journeys, which add significant financial strain. The cost of travel makes it nearly impossible for many children to receive the timely treatment they need,” Moss added.

To address this challenge, STEPS has been advocating for temporary Care Dependency Grants, which would provide financial assistance for transport, enabling families to complete the crucial early stages of treatment.

In addition to transport costs, South Africa is grappling with a critical shortage of healthcare professionals trained to treat clubfoot and other birth conditions.

“The South African healthcare system remains under pressure, and the dual challenges of transport barriers and healthcare worker shortages are preventing many children from receiving the life-changing care they need. To date, we have helped train 2,090 health professionals in the Ponseti method, but this is just scratching the surface. Access to care is time-critical, and we cannot afford delays in treatment. By equipping even more health professionals with the Ponseti method, we can expand the pool of trained healthcare professionals and ensure that more children receive the necessary treatment, ideally closer to home.”

Take Your Step Toward Change

Despite these challenges, there is hope. As part of efforts to support STEPS Clubfoot Care, Discovery Vitality will be running a Vitality MoveToGive campaign starting 3 March, in line with World Birth Defects Day, giving their members the chance to donate their Discovery Miles to give children born with clubfoot access to the best possible treatment.

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Demand for clubfoot treatment soars by 68%