CURE Zambia Establishes a Prosthetics and Orthotics Workshop

 

Mobility plays a fundamental role in every person’s life. It’s essential for independence, giving one the ability to move freely, engage in daily activities, and experience life to its fullest. But children with physical disabilities often have limited mobility, leading to feelings of isolation and dependence. But with the help of prosthetics and orthotics, these children can be mobile and experience a better quality of life.

To address the growing need for assistive devices for children with limited mobility due to disability, Beit-CURE Children’s Hospital of Zambia (CURE Zambia) has set up its first prosthetics and orthotics workshop.

“I have seen children who had both their legs amputated when they were babies, get fitted with prosthetic legs for the first time as teens. The happiness that comes with that life-changing experience is such a priceless feeling that makes my job satisfying,” said Margaret Guyan, Director of Prosthetics and Orthotics at CURE International Children’s Hospitals.

 

Answering the Need for Prosthetics and Orthotics Care

Prostheses (artificial legs and hands) and orthoses (braces and splints) enable people with physical impairments or functional limitations to live productive, independent lives and receive an education, participate in the labour market, and engage in an active social life.

According to the Zambia Statistics Agency’s 2015 national disability survey, there is a disability prevalence of about 4.4 percent in children, which covers close to 1 million children of the total 20 million people in Zambia. In addition, limited centers and professionals cater to children who require prosthetics and orthotics, with less than 25 experts countrywide.

“There is a great need for prosthetic and orthotic services in not only Zambia but in the other countries CURE serves,” Margaret shared. “Since we opened the workshop last year in November, we have catered to over 230 children. Our focus is to expand our infrastructure and technological equipment to build capacity and continuously improve P&O care for the kids across the CURE network.”

 

 

Two prosthetics and orthotics workshops already operate in the eight hospitals across the CURE network—one in Kenya and the other in Ethiopia. CURE Zambia is the third workshop, providing a variety of prosthetic and orthotic options for children, depending on their needs. They also produce a variety of other assistive devices, such as crutches, standing frames, walking frames, wheelchairs, and compression garments, just to name a few.

“There are few hospitals/centers that offer prosthetic and orthotic services in Zambia, and Beit-CURE is the first children’s hospital to offer prosthetic and orthotic services specifically for children—a great asset for children from underserved communities living with disabilities,” said Patrick Mwila, CURE Zambia’s Lead Prosthetist Orthotist. “We have been running the prosthetics and orthotics workshop for four months now, and the response has been overwhelming. Seeing kids come in completely dependent on their parents/caregivers and walk out independently gives me happiness and fulfillment.”

Build to Offer Independence

Due to lack of finances, many kids go through intense physical and emotional pain before they find the help they need.

Thanks to CURE’s kind and generous partners, the workshop is not only a milestone in CURE Zambia’s commitment to providing high-quality care but also an answered prayer to children like 11-year-old Joshua, who couldn’t afford to get fitted with prosthetics.

“I want my son to be happier and live an independent life just like his peers,” Wilson, Joshua’s father, shared.

When he was two, Joshua got sick and was diagnosed with rickets, the softening and weakening of bones in children—usually because of an extreme and prolonged vitamin D deficiency.

 

 

 

Joshua went through treatments at various hospitals—and then was referred to CURE Zambia. After a series of tests, doctors concluded that his legs were severely damaged and the only option was to amputate them. The situation was heartbreaking for Joshua and his family.

Throughout the years, Joshua and his family have been to many local hospitals in search of quality, well-fitting prosthetic legs but all to no avail due to their lack of finances. He had to battle with old prosthetic legs that did not fit well and broke often, making him a target of bullying among his peers.

But finally, after the opening of CURE Zambia’s prosthetics and orthotics workshop, Joshua was fitted with tailor-made prosthetic legs, and instantly his confidence and hope for the future were renewed. With his new legs, Joshua will be able to move independently and fully participate in life.

“You are doing a tremendous job in the lives of these kids. Thank you for restoring Joshua’s hope for an independent life,” said Wilson.

 

Learn more about partnering with CURE Zambia to help kids heal.
All surgeries and prosthetic and orthotic care provided at CURE Zambia are made possible by our generous supporters.