February 7, 2023
Each year, there are an estimated 350 new children born with clubfoot in Ecuador. Global Grant “Transforming Lives” (GG2239604), approved by the Rotary Foundation in August 2022 with a budget of $39,375, aims to ensure that all children in Ecuador have access to low-cost and effective Ponseti treatment for clubfoot. The Rotary Club of Tsáchila de Santo Domingo (Ecuador) in District 4400 is the host of the project and the Rotary Club of Saint Helena (California) in District 5130 is the International Sponsor. Already, nine Ponseti clinics in seven cities across Ecuador have been established and a growing number of patients are receiving treatment. Through this project, three International Trainers are conducting follow-up visits to observe and evaluate the functioning of these clinics and to provide feedback and advice to the Ecuadorian doctors. 500 additional braces have been ordered, and these braces will be distributed to the clinics. Newly trained providers will be prepared to raise awareness about clubfoot and its treatment among clinical staff, parents of children with clubfoot, and other healthcare officials and advocates who are in positions to assist with community mobilization throughout Ecuador. To this end, five Ecuadorian doctors were selected to attend the October 2022 Society of Ecuadorian Congress of Orthopedics and Traumatology (“SEOT”) in Quito where they presented the work of their clinics and their results with clinical cases.