Fistula Repairs for Indigent Women and Girls
The figures released by the world health Organization are staggering and even though Fistula was eliminated in developed countries a century ago, It still affects two million women. (Source of data, WHO, 2019).
Fistula in Africa:
Today, at least one million women in Africa needlessly suffer from untreated fistula.
Nigeria, an African country has been reported to have one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world.
According to the latest UN global estimates, 303,000 women die every year in childbirth, or because of complications arising from pregnancy. This equates to about 830 women dying each day- roughly one every two minutes.
Each year, 50,000 to 100,000 new women experience obstetric fistula, which consists of an abnormal opening between a woman’s genital tract and her urinary tract or rectum.
How Fistula Occurs:
An Obstetric fistula occurs when a mother has a prolonged, obstructed labor, but does not have access to emergency medical care such as a C- section.
The result of prolonged and obstructed labor, often leads to fetal and maternal death.
It is a major injury to girls and women who survive excessively long labour during childbirth, but may suffer stillbirths and subsequently develop incontinence and a vulnerability to infections.’
"According to World Health Organization, obstructed labor is responsible for up to 6 percent of all maternal death (WHO, 2019)"
