Clubfoot is a descriptive term for a congenital deformity of the foot which results in significant disability if left untreated. Possible causes of clubfoot may include: abnormal foetal development, genetic predisposition, and chemicals in the environment that may cause foetal abnormalities.

In Australia and other developed countries, problems associated with clubfoot are negligible due to recognition and treatment at birth. Most children in central Vietnam are not born in hospitals but in rural and remote villages where there is minimal awareness about clubfoot - particularly the ethnic minorities living in the mountain areas. Problems arise due to a lack of identification and resources for the treatment, with present resources directed at much more involved, expensive surgical procedures.

Families are too poor to be able to afford the cost of travel to hospital or other treatment facility as well as the cost for accommodation and food during the period of treatment.

Since 1996, podiatric surgeons Dr Andrew van Essen and Dr Paul Wade have been providing voluntary surgical aid in central Vietnam. Their mission has been to provide treatment for foot and leg deformities in areas where there is limited medical services. With the support of Variety Children's Lifeline, their surgical missions have expanded into an integrated programme providing public education, early non-surgical intervention, surgical training for local doctors and training for midwives and other field practitioners.

In the year 2007:
• Five medical missions were undertaken in Vietnam
• More than 75 children have been treated in the casting program
• There have been three big seminars held where more than 200 doctors have been educated and spoken to about the treatment
• More than 60 doctors have been trained in surgical procedures for correction of difficult or relapsed clubfeet.

Dr Paul Wade has been on the five medical missions to Vietnam in 2007, and Dr Andrew Van Essen has been on two. Thai Nguyen, one of the towns visited on a mission this year, is a small town bordering the mountainous provinces.

Some of the kids that were helped include;
• Little Ha, a two week old baby who came to Danang from HCM City via website information.  

• Phong, 4 year old boy from Quang Nghai with a severe form of flat foot. He has a number of medical problems.  Dr Paul operated earlier in May and now corrected the left foot this trip.

• Truong, a 6 year old girl with arthrogryposis and relapsed clubfeet has under gone bilateral corrective surgery including bone graft from her hip and tendon transfers.

Also, the doctors met with the directors of Vietnamese Training Center for Orthopedic Technologies in Hanoi to liaise with them on future seminars and the development of the Foot Abduction Splint. Their school has 15 students per year, on a 3 year program which was developed and built by DED, a German NGO.

Through our sponsorship of “Feet for Walking” we are helping to improve the lives, and the futures, of thousands of children who have difficulties walking. Sponsorship from Clarks Shoes Australia and Variety Children’s Lifeline for “These Feet Were Made for Walking” Clubfoot project has seen the aims of this mission become a reality.

The Project Aim is twofold; to build the capacity to detect clubfoot by increasing awareness of doctors and midwifes at hospitals and commune health stations to emphasis early diagnoses and treatment. Also to build the capacity to treat clubfoot by providing training for doctors in casting and splinting, providing fabrication of night splints from locally available materials and providing funding for the hospitals and patients for treatment.

For more information visit www.feetforwalking.org and to help Variety Children’s Lifeline Australia help kids in Vietnam please email info@varietyaustralia.org.au