Help a child overcome disability due to clubfoot

Anushkaa Foundation for Eliminating Clubfoot (AFEC) is a registered non profit organisation with 80G, 12A and FCRA registrations, working to ensure that every child born with clubfoot has the opportunity to grow up with fully corrected, functional feet. Approximately 33,000 children are born with clubfoot in India every year, accounting for around 19% of global clubfoot births. Today, AFEC works across 14 states and 190 districts in India, primarily in partnership with Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK), a programme under the National Health Mission, to make quality clubfoot treatment accessible to more children.

Clubfoot is a congenital birth defect in which one or both feet are turned inwards. If left untreated, it can cause severe pain and difficulty in walking and can significantly affect a child’s education, social participation and future livelihood opportunities. Children with untreated clubfoot may experience stigma, discrimination and social isolation, while families may also face misconceptions and exclusion. Over time, these challenges can limit a child’s opportunities and contribute to lifelong economic disadvantage.

Despite being highly treatable, a large majority of children born with clubfoot in India do not receive timely and complete treatment. Distance to treatment centres, lack of trained healthcare professionals, limited availability of medical supplies, lack of awareness and challenges in treatment adherence continue to be major barriers.

A Simple and Effective Solution

Clubfoot can be effectively treated using the Ponseti method, a simple, low cost and highly effective treatment approach that is particularly suited to low resource settings. With timely treatment and appropriate follow up, children can achieve fully corrected and functional feet and go on to lead active, healthy and independent lives.

AFEC implements its programme primarily through partnerships with the government health system, particularly through RBSK, while also working with select charitable and trust hospitals. We leverage existing public health infrastructure and networks to create a long term and sustainable solution, with a strong focus on building local capacity.

Our programme focuses on six key areas:

Clubfoot Clinics: We support the establishment and strengthening of dedicated clubfoot clinic days within hospitals, bringing treatment closer to families and making services more accessible.

Medical Training: We train doctors and healthcare professionals in the Ponseti method through basic, advanced and train the trainer programmes, helping build a skilled workforce capable of providing quality treatment.

Awareness, Identification and Referral: We work closely with RBSK teams and frontline health workers, including ASHAs and ANMs, to improve awareness, identify children with clubfoot and facilitate early referral for treatment.

Counselling and Parent Support: Parents play a critical role in ensuring that children complete treatment. We provide counselling and ongoing support to help families understand the treatment process, address concerns and reduce dropouts.

Medical Supplies: We provide essential medical supplies, including foot abduction braces required during the maintenance phase, helping ensure that families can complete the full course of care without financial barriers.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Child Tracking: We use a structured monitoring and evaluation system to track each child throughout their treatment journey, from enrolment and casting through correction, tenotomy where required, bracing and follow up. Treatment data is recorded and monitored to track progress, identify children at risk of dropping out and enable timely follow up and support. Programme data is also used to monitor treatment outcomes, retention, service quality and performance across clinics and districts, helping us continuously strengthen the programme and ensure that children receive complete and quality care.

Our Impact

Our work has helped expand access to clubfoot treatment and strengthen the capacity of the healthcare system across India.

• 28,000+ children enrolled for clubfoot treatment

• 3,259 children have completed treatment

• 361 doctors trained in the Ponseti method

• 2,52,000+ ASHAs sensitised on clubfoot identification, referral and treatment

• 90%+ treatment retention rate

• 14 states reached across India

• 190 districts reached

Why This Matters

For us, impact is not simply the number of children enrolled in a programme. It is about ensuring that a child completes treatment and can stand, walk and play with fully corrected feet.

Early and complete treatment can prevent the physical pain and mobility challenges associated with untreated clubfoot and give children the opportunity to attend school, participate in their communities and pursue their aspirations.

The impact also extends beyond the child. By working through the existing public health system, strengthening local healthcare capacity, training healthcare professionals, tracking children throughout their treatment journey and creating awareness among frontline health workers and communities, we are building a sustainable ecosystem where more children can be identified early and access quality treatment closer to home.

Our long term vision is simple: every child born with clubfoot in India should have access to timely, quality and complete treatment.

With continued support from partners and donors, we aim to reach more children, strengthen treatment services across districts, expand the pool of trained healthcare professionals, ensure access to essential medical supplies, strengthen monitoring and follow up, and build greater awareness that clubfoot is treatable and every child deserves the chance to walk freely.