Associate Professor Ewa Puszczałowska-Lizis at the Faculty of Health Sciences and Psychology, Medical College of the University of Rzeszów, will lead the project “Foot care education program for preschool aged children from the V4 countries”, funded by the Visegrad Grants programme through the International Visegrad Fund.

The project focuses on fostering cross-border cooperation between the University of Rzeszów, the University of Prešov (Slovakia), and Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem (Czech Republic). It aims to facilitate the exchange of expertise in promoting health awareness related to proper foot development and appropriate footwear choices for preschool-aged children.

The initiative will result in the creation and implementation of a novel educational programme targeted at children aged 3–6 years, as well as their parents/guardians and educators. The concept is entirely innovative, as no such programme has previously been implemented for these groups in the participating countries. It will be the first educational initiative of its kind to address the issue of selecting appropriate footwear for sensitive and developing children’s feet.

A key added value of the project lies in drawing attention to foot health issues among children in each of the partner countries and in raising awareness among parents, teachers, and society at large about the specific needs resulting from the rapid pace of physical development during early childhood.

The introduction of preventive and educational measures is expected to contribute to more rational healthcare expenditure. Furthermore, the programme will lay the groundwork for building effective relationships between healthcare providers and recipients at national, regional, and local levels. Ultimately, it will be a crucial step toward improving the quality of life of children – and, in the future, adults – across the V4 region.

Funding awarded: €15,000

The project is co-financed by the governments of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia through Visegrad Grants from the International Visegrad Fund, whose mission is to support ideas for sustainable regional cooperation in Central Europe.