About the Feet First Project ...

Clubfoot is the most common significant musculoskeletal congenital abnormality in the developing world and untreated it results in considerable handicap
In the first year of life the condition can be treated by manipulation and casting, often carried out by non-surgeons
Beyond this age complex surgery is often required.

The Feet First project aims to train providers in the method of manipulation and casting and also to develop the capacity to surgically treat neglected cases


Club Foot in Malawi, Africa...

Malawi is a poor central / southern African country, with a population of approximately 12 million.
It is predominantly subsistence farming based and prone to famine.
For the 12 million people of Malawi, there are only 5 orthopaedic surgeons, and only 1 in Central and Northern Malawi.

Now, consider that there are 5000 children with untreated clubfeet in Malawi, and 500 more born each year!
Most often these cases are undiagnosed at birth, and even if they are diagnosed, treatment is unavailable, or local belief systems hinder treatment options.

Club foot in Laos, South East Asia…

Laos is a poor country where inability to work impacts both the patient and the surrounding community. Like Malawi, there is a high incidence of congenital abnormalities, especially club foot, and almost no medical system to deal with this nationwide problem.

Our Aims, for Malawi and beyond...

Malawi and Beyond Our aim in preventing and correcting clubfoot in Malawi are as follows:

This is being achieved by educating local surgeons and training them to teach the methods used to correct clubfoot and setting up dedicated clubfoot clinics in each district hospital.
Refresher training is given on support visits to district hospitals and research of the condition and data collection is an ongoing process.

Our Aims, worldwide...

Our aims are to roll out a worldwide programme for the recognition and management of club foot. We would like every child born with club foot to be diagnosed at birth, and have access to treatment. The Ponseti method is a gold-standard treatment that can easily be applied in the Third World due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness.

We would also like to provide training for surgeons to manage neglected cases of club foot, and even provide more basic surgical skills training where needed.

In order to do this, we need to educate the local nurses and surgeons, and set up dedicated national screening and management programmes. This needs to be supported by refresher courses and audits to monitor the effectiveness of the education programme.

We currently have on-going projects in Malawi and Laos, and are now starting to focus on Cambodia, the Sudan, Ethiopia and Kazakhstan.

Devizes to Westminster Canoe Race 2007

This endurance canoe race is held over the Easter weekend, and sees hundreds of boats making their way down the Thames. The average duration of the race is a full 24 hours, with competitors needing a strong support crew to feed them along the way! Henry Dowlen is entering this year, and aims to raise money for Feet First along the way. We are very grateful for his efforts, and hope he makes it to the end in one piece! If you would like to contribute, please donate using the Paypal button above. Further information can be found on the DW race website www.dwrace.org.uk