Steps Charity NPC

 Clubfoot is a common birth condition affecting at least 11 000 babies in Southern Africa every year. Untreated clubfoot restricts a child to a lifetime as a disabled person, increasing the risk of isolation, pain and poverty.

The Ponseti Method of clubfoot treatment is over 95% successful, and is the most effective solution to prevent the disability caused by untreated clubfoot.

Our goal is to leave no child with clubfoot untreated by increasing access to the Ponseti Method.

Our award-winning programme supports children born with clubfoot through four years of life-changing treatment. We partner with SAPOS (South African Paediatric Orthopaedic Society) to train health professionals. We support 38 specialist clubfoot clinics treating more than 4,000 children annually. 

STEPS proven model consists of 4 pillars that directly contribute to the elimination of clubfoot as source of disability.

To set up your own fundraising page for STEPS SA click here

THE STEPS MODEL FOR CHANGE TO ELIMINATE CLUBFOOT AS A COURSE OF DISABILITY

1. TRAINING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS – Increased access to Ponseti clubfoot treatment
2. CLINIC SUPPORT – Effective and well-resourced clinics with patient-centred care
3. ADVOCACY – Increased awareness and early referral for treatment
4. BRACES – Sustainable supply of medical devices for long-term treatment success

PROGRAMME IMPACT: Child is able to walk on straight flexible feet without pain or disability

Karen Moss founded STEPS in 2005 to transform clubfoot treatment in the region after her own son's successful treatment with the Ponseti method in the USA. 

The Ponseti method is a two-phase treatment that starts at birth and finishes age four:

1. Correction phase: Starts at birth, weekly plaster casts are applied to the entire leg after specific manipulations. Takes approximately 6-8 weeks.
2. Maintenance phase: After correction, a night brace is worn until the child is four year old to maintain the position of the foot.