Argentina Update Summary – January 2023

January 27, 2023

The purpose of this grant was to train traumatologists in the Ponseti Method of treating Clubfoot in public hospitals in Argentina. The grant was initiated by the RC Grand Bourg, province of Buenos Aires, and the international partner being the RC Iowa City AM.

Dr. Jose Morcuende traveled to Argentina in March 2022 to start the training process to traumatologists from the provinces of Cordoba (1), Santa Fe (1), Buenos Aires (4), and the City of Buenos Aires (3). For a total of 9 hospitals, he returned to finish the training in September 2022. Dr. Miguel Paz, who had previously been trained by Dr. Morcuende, was the professional coordinator in Argentina. Ponseti Clinics were set up in the 9 hospitals, and it is Dr. Paz who has been following up on the operation of clinics, in both the professional and administrative sides. 70% of clubfoot cases in Argentina are to be found in the areas that those hospitals serve.

The benefit of the training was that approximately 1,5000 families were treated so far by January 2023, and the professionals that Dr. Morcuende trained became trainers of Ponseti Method to other traumatologists in their hospitals.

In September 2022, the grant was in its final phase. The representative of both districts were invited by the World Health Organization (WHO) and TRF to present the project at the conference that took place at WHO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on world Polio Day. Dr. Morcuende and Dr. Paz represented the grant (GG2096398) at the conference. Dr. Morcuende made his presentation with a video that showed what clubfoot is, the number of patients treated, and the very low cost of the treatment.

Thank you, Nenu and Elisa for providing this thorough overview!

GG#2096598 – Ponseti Method Training in Argentina

July 20, 2022

The Ponseti Method training in Argentina (GG#2096598) was a collaboration of the the RC of Grand Bourg (D4905, Argentina), the RC of Iowa City AM (D6000, Iowa, USA), Ponseti International Association (PIA) and The Rotary Foundation. The total cost of the project was $49,749.

The main goals of the project were to train orthopedists from seven public hospitals in Argentina, located in the city of Buenos Aires (CABA), the province of Buenos Aires, and the province of Santa Fe, and to furnish, supply and set up a state-of-the-art Ponseti Clinic in each of the hospitals. The training started on March 20th, 2022, with the five-day visit of a Vocational Training Team (VTT), headed by Dr. Jose Morcuende. In Nov. 2022 Dr Morcuende will return to Argentina for five days to consult with providers who were previously trained and evaluate the Ponseti Clinics. The project will directly benefit a population of approximately 4,000 people. The Final Financial Report was approved by the RI Office in Buenos Aires on May 21st, 2022. It was then submitted to TRF as part of the project’s final report.

Submitted by Nenu Piragine (RC of Iowa City A.M.)

2021 – 2022 Ponseti Method Training Activities funded by Rotarians and The Rotary Foundation

May 10, 2022

Mexico Ponseti Method Training
Peru, Ecuador & Argentina Ponseti Method Training
Colombia Ponseti Method Training

Argentina initiates Ponseti Method training activities

April 6, 2022

In late March 2022, a VTT training program for doctors from seven hospitals in the City of Buenos Aires and the Provinces of Bueunos Aires and Santa Fe, where 70% of the child population with clubfoot reside.

They are the following:
1. Claudio Zin Pediatric Hospital, city of Malvinas Argentinas, province of Buenos Aires (training center)
2. Children’s Hospital “Sor Juana Ludovica” – La Plata, capital of the province of Buenos Aires
3. Children’s Hospital Dr. Pedro de Elizalde (formerly Casa Cuna), city of Buenos Aires
4. Dr. Juan P. Garrahan Pediatric Hospital, city of Buenos Aires
5. Victor J Vilela Children’s Hospital, city of Rosario, province of Santa Fe
6. Pediatric Hospital Federico Falcón, city of Buenos Aires
7. Prof. Alejandro Posadas National Hospital, city of Buenos Aires

At the end of a comprehensive training, followed by adequate guidance and clinical experience, they will be fully qualified to correct the deformity of clubfoot using the Ponseti Method (PM). Next, they will establish “Ponseti Clinics”, in their hospitals. The offices will be remodeled in order to provide them with an image that identifies them with Ponseti International Association (PIA) and Rotary International.

We will offer a space attuned to the interests of the children who will be cared for there, knowing that emotional balance plays an important role in the patient’s recovery.

Recently trained professionals will be prepared to raise awareness of this deformity and its treatment.

Likewise, the parents of the children in treatment will be involved.

This project will be carried out in collaboration with PIA.
The training with the VTT will be carried out over one week. Once completed, Dr. Miguel Paz of Argentina will make periodic visits to the new Ponseti Clinics in each of the hospitals. In October, the Leader of the VTT, Dr. José Morcuende, will return to supervise the hospitals and observe and report on progress in the application of the Ponseti Method in the aforementioned Clinics. The project will provide the material necessary – casts and braces – to care for patients using the PM. Each medical professional will also be given reference material identifying Rotary International and PIA in the form of a follow-up workbook.

The total for this project is USD$49,000 and was financed by:
RC of Grand Bourg
RC Iowa City AM
Rotary International D4905-Argentina
Rotary International D6000 – USA
The Rotary Foundation

Theoretical training and practice will be carried out in the Claudio Zin Pediatric Hospital in Malvinas and in the Dr. Juan P. Garrahan Pediatric Hospital, city of Buenos Aires. Donations were delivered which consisted for the installation of Ponseti Clinics: desks, multifunction furniture, chairs, stools, stretchers with covers, vinyl, manuals, family Guides, triptych posters, braces, plaster and gauze. The delivery of materials is nearly complete.

Visits to the hospitals will continue in order to carry out planned follow-up.

2022_April_Bulletin_RC_of_Grand_Bourg_Argentina 4 6 2022

Ponseti Method Training Activities begin in Argentina

March 26, 2022

Training for the treatment of clubfoot with the Ponseti Method was held in Buenos Aires on March 21 – 25, 2022. A very productive and high-quality experience due to the excellence of the trainers, Dr. Mónica Nogueira and Dr. José Morcuende. There are 8 participants, from 8 public hospitals in the country. The course consists of theoretical content with talks, practice with manual work and plaster training, discussion of cases and patients in hospitals. Participants are very happy to be able to carry out this experience.

Submitted by
Dr. Miguel J.M. Paz
Jefe del Servicio de Ortopedia y Traumatología Infantil
Hospital Universitario Austral

Ponseti Method Training activities begin in Argentina.

Ponseti Method Training in Argentina Global Grant submitted to The Rotary Foundation for review

October 4, 2020

We seek Rotary Districts interested to provide District Designated Funds (DDF) to support this project.  Please contact info@rag4clubfoot.org for more information.

The Rotary Club of Iowa City A.M. (Iowa, USA) and the Rotary Club of Grand Bourge (Buenos Aires, Argentina) have collaborated to write a Global Grant to train orthopedists in the Ponseti Method.  The request has been submitted to The Rotary Foundation and they await to hear their decision.  A summary of the project is given below.

A Ponseti Method (PM) Training Seminar to take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Its goal is to train pediatric surgeons to achieve the eradication of clubfoot in that country. It was at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) where Dr. Ponseti started and perfected the method that carries his name.

Argentina has a population of 44 million inhabitants and the number of new cases per year is estimated to be 1,000. The number of children and adults who live with clubfoot is not known.

There will be 7 (seven) pediatric surgeons from Argentina’s Pediatric State Hospitals.  The seven hospitals the surgeons represent have committed to dedicate an office for the Ponseti Clinics (PC) where the surgeons will talk to parents of children born with clubfoot, treat patients, and keep a registry of the cases treated.

The Training Seminar will have an 8 (eight) months’ duration, and its Leader will be Dr. Jose Morcuende, PIA Director in Iowa City, Iowa, USA.  The first part of the seminar will last 5 (five) days, during which Dr. Morcuende will inform about and teach the PM to the surgeons. During the second part, the pediatric surgeons will set up a Ponseti Clinic in each one of their hospitals, where they will talk to parents of children with clubfoot, treat the patients, and keep a record of the number of cases they treat. The pediatric surgeons will be invited to participate, every three months, in web seminars for Latin America, organized by the Ponseti International Association (PIA). During the third part, Dr. Morcuende will return to Argentina to check on the PC, to see the patients’ registries, and to answer questions the doctors may have.

The institutions that collaborate to organize this PM Seminar are: 1. In Buenos Aires, Argentina, the Rotary Club Grand Bourg, and Dr. Miguel Paz, Pediatric Surgeon, Malvinas Argentinas Pediatric Hospital; 2. In the USA, the PM International, Rotary International D6000, and the Rotary Club of Iowa City A.M.; Dr. Jose Morcuende, PM Director, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa, USA.

Written by Nenu Piragine, Rotarian of the Iowa City AM Club.

Argentina and Paraguay

March 17, 2016

A Ponseti Method training project is developing.  More details will be posted as soon as they become available.

If you or your club are interested in this project or would like to discuss a similar project, please Contact Us