NL Correspondent
New Delhi: CURE India, in collaboration with RBSK, NHM, and Lady Hardinge Medical Hospital, organized a landmark event to launch a National Campaign “RunFree2030” aimed at eliminating disability from clubfoot in India by 2030.
The event was graced by the esteemed Shri Apurva Chandra, IAS, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, who served as the Chief Guest. Guests of Honour included Ms. Aradhna Patnaik, IAS, Addl. Secretary and MD, NHM, Govt. of India; Ms. Meera Srivastava, IRS, Joint Secretary, RCH, NHM, Govt. of India; Dr. Sarita Beri, Director of LHMC; Dr. Shobna Gupta, Dy. Commissioner, Child Health & RBSK, Govt. of India; Dr. Alok Sud, Director Professor & Head, Dept. of Orthopaedics, LHMC; Dr. Mathew Varghese, Chairman, CURE India; and Dr. Santhosh G, Director, CURE India.
Event Highlights:
Prof. Dr. Sarita Beri welcomed the delegation and guests of honour, expressing Lady Hardinge’s privilege in being part of this initiative. She appreciated the collaboration with RBSK.
Dr. Shobna Gupta highlighted the importance of addressing the 4Ds—Defects at birth, Diseases, Deficiencies, and Development Delays—under the RBSK program. She emphasized the program’s aim to improve public healthcare delivery, cover 27 crore beneficiaries, and reduce out-of-pocket expenses by identifying deformities early.
Ms. Aradhana Patnaik, IAS spoke of her longstanding association with CURE India and her role in establishing the Clubfoot Program in Jharkhand. She underscored the impact CURE India has made with 418 clinics across all 29 states in India, emphasizing the necessity of refresher training for ASHA workers, doctors, and the entire NHM network to ensure no child born with clubfoot goes untreated.
Dr. Santosh shared the program’s humble beginnings in 2009, starting with a training program in Delhi, leading CURE India to become the largest Clubfoot Program in the world, treating over 106,000 children.
Dr. Mathew Varghese discussed the Ponseti method, a non-surgical treatment for clubfoot, stressing the importance of ensuring every child with clubfoot can walk and run freely. He noted that, unlike polio, India aims to be one of the first countries to eliminate disability caused by clubfoot.
Launch of RunFree2030 Campaign:
The event concluded with the launch of the “RunFree2030” poster by Apurva Chandra, and a collective pledge to make India free from disability caused by clubfoot. The pledge drew inspiration from India’s successful elimination of polio, aiming to make India one of the first countries to eliminate clubfoot disability.
