MONROVIA, Liberia – June 3, 2026– Representative Augustine B. Chiewolo, the driving force behind Liberia’s Clubfoot Program, has renewed calls for increased government support and the full nationalization of clubfoot treatment services across the country, as Liberia joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Clubfoot Day 2026 under the theme, “Leave No Clubfoot Child Behind.”
For more than a decade, Rep. Chiewolo has championed efforts to restore hope and mobility to thousands of children born with clubfoot through the Faith Clinical Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center (FACORC), a nonprofit humanitarian organization that operates the Liberia Clubfoot Program using the globally recognized Ponseti Method, a non-surgical treatment approach for correcting clubfoot deformities.
Speaking Wednesday during the World Clubfoot Day celebration held at the Faith Medical and Laboratory Clinic in Red-Light, Paynesville, Rep. Chiewolo described the program as one of Liberia’s most successful child health interventions, while stressing the urgent need for stronger government ownership and support. “Clubfoot treatment in Liberia should not remain a private initiative. It is a national responsibility,” Rep. Chiewolo declared. “We are calling on the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Health, to fully embrace and nationalize the program so that every child born with clubfoot can receive treatment regardless of where they live.”
Clubfoot is a congenital deformity that causes one or both feet to twist inward or downward. While the condition does not cause pain, untreated children often face mobility challenges, social stigma, and exclusion from everyday activities. Through early intervention and proper treatment, however, affected children can live normal and active lives.
Since its establishment in 2011 under Rep. Chiewolo’s leadership, the Liberia Clubfoot Program has transformed the lives of thousands of children nationwide. The program currently operates in 12 of Liberia’s 15 counties, including Montserrado, Lofa, Bong, Nimba, Grand Bassa, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Gedeh, Maryland, Bomi, and several others.
According to Rep. Chiewolo said, more than 7,000 Liberians, primarily children, have benefited from treatment and rehabilitation services since the program's inception, earning Liberia international recognition within the global clubfoot treatment community.
“Children born with clubfoot can now receive treatment free of charge in Liberia,” he said. “Many of these children who would have otherwise faced a lifetime of disability are now walking, running, attending school, and pursuing their dreams.”
Despite the program’s achievements, Rep. Chiewolo emphasized that sustainability remains a challenge without stronger state involvement. He proposed that the initiative be officially rebranded as the Liberia National Clubfoot Program and integrated into the country's national healthcare framework.
“We appreciate our partners, but for long-term success, the program must become part of the national health policy. This is not an individual project; it is a national program that deserves national support,” he added.
The longtime advocate also expressed gratitude to the program’s development partners, including MiracleFeet, the Ministry of Health (MoH), CHILD, and FACORC, for their continued commitment to ensuring that children born with clubfoot receive life-changing treatment.
As World Clubfoot Day is observed globally in honor of Dr. Ignacio Ponseti, the pioneer of the Ponseti Method, Liberia’s celebration served as both a reflection on remarkable progress and a call to action for the future.
With thousands of success stories already recorded and treatment centers expanding across the country, Rep. Augustine B. Chiewolo's vision remains clear that a Liberia where no child is denied the opportunity to walk, run, and thrive because of clubfoot.
