Commemorating World Clubfoot Day 2025

CBM joins rehabilitation partners worldwide in marking World Clubfoot Day on June 3rd, a day dedicated to raising awareness about clubfoot and its prevention through the Ponseti Method—a low-cost, non-surgical treatment involving gentle foot manipulation, casting, and bracing.

A Steenbeek Foot Abduction Brace (SFAB)

The date commemorates the birth of Dr. Ignacio Ponseti (1914–2009), whose pioneering method has transformed the lives of countless children. World Clubfoot Day honors his legacy and reinforces the belief that every child born with clubfoot deserves access to effective, timely treatment.

Understanding Clubfoot: A Treatable Childhood Condition

Clubfoot is a congenital condition where one or both of a baby’s feet are twisted inward and downward at birth. Every year, around 200,000 babies (one in every 3 minutes) are born with clubfoot worldwide. Yet, in low- and middle-income countries, less than 1 in 5 receive treatment, leading to pain, difficulty walking, and lifelong exclusion from education and employment. The good news? Clubfoot is completely treatable and the impact is life-changing.

The Ponseti Method—a globally recognized, low-cost treatment—uses weekly gentle casting, a simple outpatient procedure, and bracing to correct the feet. When done early, it restores full movement and function, preventing permanent disability.

While the exact cause of clubfoot is still unclear, genetics play a role. Misconceptions—like blaming womb position, curses, or wrongdoing—only add stigma and shame. But science is clear: clubfoot is no one’s fault, and it can be fixed.

With the right care, children born with clubfoot can walk, run, and live life to the fullest—just like any other child.

The Steenbeek Foot Abduction Brace (SFAB) forms an integral part of the Ponseti method of Clubfoot treatment. It is a device used at night to maintain the corrected foot position in children with treated clubfoot.

From Hidden in Shame to Walking with Pride: Nivon’s Journey of Hope

Baby Nivon
Baby Nivon before and after the treatment

When baby Nivon was born in a small village in Igembe South, Kenya, his mother’s joy quickly turned to fear. At just four months old, he was diagnosed with bilateral clubfoot—a condition that twisted his tiny feet inward, making it painful and difficult to imagine a future where he could walk.

In a community where stigma around disability runs deep, Nivon’s mother felt overwhelmed by shame. Afraid of how others would react, she kept her baby hidden, convinced that he would never walk, never run, never play like other children.

But Nivon’s story took a remarkable turn.

Through CBM’s local partner DOMSPARK, Nivon received life-changing treatment using the Ponseti method, a proven and gentle technique to correct clubfoot. His feet were gradually realigned, and once the correction was achieved, he was fitted with Steenbeek Foot Abduction Braces (SFABs)—specially designed to keep his feet in position during the night as he grows. These braces will be adjusted regularly until he turns five.

Today, at just one and a half years old, Nivon is taking his very first steps—on straight feet. His mother no longer hides him. Instead, she beams with pride as she watches her son walk confidently into the world.

Nivon’s journey is a powerful reminder that clubfoot is completely treatable—and that lifelong disability is entirely preventable with early and accessible rehabilitation services.

Thanks to timely support, one little boy now walks tall—and so does his future.

Michiel Steenbeek, CBM's Senior Global Physical Impairment & Rehabilitation Advisor

For over two decades CBM and CBM partners have been instrumental to implement the gold standard of clubfoot treatment, the Ponseti Method, in many low- and middle-income countries, thereby preventing disability from clubfoot. Through the CBM support to national programmes, thousands of children can access this treatment each year, walk and run free and have a normal life without being stigmatized.

- Steenbeek, Michiel, Senior Global Physical Impairment & Rehabilitation Advisor