I used to work for, and am now a trustee of, Global Clubfoot Initiative, a brilliant small umbrella body with over 30 member organisations who are working to support the 150,000 - 200,000 children born with clubfoot and their families every year.  I'm joining GCI and its members to Walk the World. Starting on World Clubfoot Day on June 3rd over 6 weeks we'll be counting up our steps to collectively walk over 70,000km to walk the world. Altogether, we need to walk 103,052,946 steps. 

I'd love your support to help raise money for the amazing work GCI do. I'm planning to contribute at least 400,000 of those steps. 

Clubfoot is a complex, congenital deformity of the foot. Visually, the foot affected by clubfoot appears to be twisted inwards and downwards. Without treatment, clubfoot causes a lifetime of disability, with pain and difficulty in walking. 

We know how to treat clubfoot. There is a non-invasive treatment of manipulation and casting of the foot to straighten it out, and then finally a small surgical procedure to complete the correction, followed by a period of time when the child needs to wear leg braces overnight.  It isn't easy for the child or parents, but it is a relatively straightforward process and pretty cheap - on average it costs around £400-£600 for each child. 

Unfortunately, only around 1 in 5 children around the world with clubfoot access treatment. 80% of babies born with clubfoot are in low and middle income countries. More support is needed for babies in all countries to access life changing treatment. 

I'm supporting Run Free 2030, GCI's global strategy to end clubfoot disability.  Out ambition is that by 2030, at least 70% of children born with clubfoot in lower and middle income countries can access treatment.  You can find out more about RunFree2030 here - https://globalclubfoot.com/runfree2030/

GCI's main work is in: 

Advocacy - influencing global, regional and national decision makers to embed clubfoot treatment in guidelines and routine clinical pathways

Collaboration - providing a forum for shared learning across our 30+ members

Education - running accredited training courses around the world to train clinicians and therapists in treating clubfoot.