The State Minister for General Duties in the Ministry of Health, Anifa Kawooya Bangirana, has called on local leaders to intensify efforts to dispel myths and misconceptions that continue to prevent parents from seeking timely treatment for children born with clubfoot.
Kawooya says deeply rooted cultural beliefs continue to discourage some families from accessing medical care despite the government’s efforts to decentralize treatment services across the country.
Clubfoot is traditionally associated with beliefs that the condition is caused by witchcraft, curses, supernatural powers or punishment.
According to the minister, such misconceptions fuel stigma, delay treatment, and deny affected children the opportunity to live healthy and productive lives.
She reveals that since 2019, the Ministry of Health has identified more than 7,600 children with clubfoot across Uganda, with about 96 percent successfully receiving treatment.
Kawooya made the remarks yesterday during the national commemoration of World Clubfoot Awareness Day held at Luwero Hospital.
Dorothy Nabukeera, the Project Coordinator for Advocacy and Partnerships under Uganda’s National Clubfoot Programme, said the annual commemoration seeks to increase public awareness about the condition, promote early diagnosis, and encourage families to seek treatment before permanent disability develops.
Clubfoot is a congenital condition in which one or both feet are twisted inward and downward due to abnormal development of the tendons, muscles and bones of the foot and lower leg.
Although the exact cause remains unknown, health experts say the condition is highly treatable, particularly when intervention begins soon after birth.
By URN
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