The international nonprofit performed 50 surgeries and trained more than 120 local surgeons, across three countries, including its first mission in Tanzania
DENVER, April 4, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Steps2Walk, a global humanitarian nonprofit organization providing surgical missions and surgeon training in under-served regions around the world, today announced the patient and educational impact of its first round of programs for 2024. In February and March, the organization conducted programs in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and for the first time, Tanzania, treating 50 patients and providing surgical training and education to 120 local surgeons.
Founded in 2000 by world-renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. Mark Myerson, the organization addresses the surgical needs of those with severe foot and ankle deformities in regions where there is limited orthopedic care. In many of the countries Steps2Walk visits, such as Tanzania, there is little to no access to local surgeons trained in foot and ankle care, which is why the organization launched its Steps2Walk Global Institute to ensure each Program provides ample teaching opportunities.
“One of the most critical components of the Steps2Walk model is the continuity of care,” said Myerson. “We ensure this by emphasizing continued education for the local surgeons. Our Global Institute incorporates a number of training approaches, including through lectures, our initial consults in each hospital’s clinic, the live, on-the-ground surgeries that are streamed for those taking part in the training, cadaver labs and telemedicine mentorship for a year after the programs wrap.”
Each mission is organized in partnership with the Steps2Walk team, their international network of volunteer surgeons and the hosting medical institutions. When the organization goes into a country for the first time, such as with Tanzania, planning and development of the program can take up to two years to complete.
The 2024 Q1 programs included:
Feb. 5–9: Colombo, Sri Lanka, National Hospital of Sri Lanka
- Dr. Lee McCluskey chaired the program, marking the organization’s second year in Sri Lanka. The mission, hosted by Dr. Swarnakumaar, resulted in the training of 64 registrants, and the team performed 13 surgeries. Volunteer surgeons included Geoff Tymms, Vinod Panchbavi and Anthony Perera. While there, the Sri Lanka Orthopaedic Association invited Steps2Walk to its inauguration of the Sri Lankan Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, an important step in the country’s commitment to the specialty.
Feb. 26 – Mar. 1: Lahore, Pakistan, Gurki Trust Hospital
- Steps2Walk returned to Pakistan for the fifth time, a country with a population of more than 225 million with no fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons. The 2024 program was chaired by Dr. Mark Myerson and included international program director Dr. Shuyuan Li from the United States and Dr. Ying Li from China. Professor Amer Aziz hosted the weeklong program that provided educational training to 48 surgical registrants, and the team performed 18 surgeries.
Mar. 18 – 20: Arusha, Tanzania, Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre
- Chaired by Dr. Mark Myerson, with Drs. Steve Meyer, Maryse Bouchard and Naren Gurbani participating, the organization expanded its programming to Tanzania for the first time. The program was hosted by Dr. Goodwill Salaya, included training for eight local surgeons, and saw the team perform 19 surgeries, including one for a child who traveled from Uganda for treatment of his completely rotated clubfoot deformity.
“Expanding Steps2Walk Programs into new countries is a vital part of the organization fulfilling its vision of ensuring the availability of accessible and quality foot and ankle care to all individuals, no matter where they live,” said Tom Ferro, CEO of Steps2Walk. “We continue to add one to three new countries each year and plan to conduct at least 16 programs in 2024.”
Myerson echoed the sentiment, stating that some patients and their families had traveled up to three days to be evaluated by the team to see if they were a good candidate for surgery. “It’s remarkable the impact just one of these missions has on the volunteer surgeons who join us,” he said. “Every volunteer leaves the experience feeling enriched, gratified and fulfilled as both a practitioner and an educator.”
Steps2Walk plans to return to all three countries in 2025 to continue its mission of providing sustainable training and education and performing critical surgeries in underserved regions worldwide, often on deformities no longer seen in the Western hemisphere.
Steps2Walk has four upcoming programs scheduled for Q2:
- April 15 – 19: Monterrey, Mexico
- May 15 –17: Tegucigalpa, Honduras
- June 10 – 14: Windhoek, Namibia
- June 12 – 14: Las Paz, Bolivia
For more information on how to become a volunteer faculty member or trainee participant in one of the Steps2Walk Programs, visit https://steps2walk.org/faculty/. Steps2Walk also accepts donations, which can give the gift of walking to those most in need and help fund critical training and education for regional orthopedic surgeons.