Obstetric Fistula Repair and Prevention
5 Things to Know About Fistula
1.
What it is.
Obstetric fistula is a hole in the birth canal caused by prolonged and
obstructed labor without prompt medical intervention.
2. Why it matters. Women who
develop fistula suffer from chronic incontinence. Left untreated, the condition
can lead to medical problems, including skin ulcerations and kidney disease.
The persistent smell of urine is humiliating and women with fistula often
become ostracized by family and friends.
3.
Who it’s affecting. Fistula occurs disproportionately among impoverished
girls and women that live in remote areas, far from access to adequate medical
care during childbirth. Given the hidden nature of the condition, the
number of women with fistula worldwide is difficult to measure, but an
estimated 50,000 to 100,000 new cases develop annually—far surpassing the
global capacity for treatment.
4. What can be done. Fistula is preventable and
treatable. Fistula can be prevented when women have access to a skilled
attendant during childbirth and to emergency obstetric care if complications
arise during labor. For the many tragic existing cases, reconstructive fistula
repair surgery can be provided by an experienced surgeon.
5. The big picture. Many women with fistula live with
the condition for many years before receiving treatment, and the ability to
leave a fistula care facility completely healed and dry has a profound impact
on women’s health and well-being, uplifting families and communities.
Global
Fistula Care Map
The Global Fistula Care Map provides the
most comprehensive understanding of the landscape of treatment for women with
obstetric fistula.
Direct Relief surveyed all health facilities identified as providing
obstetric fistula repair by leading organizations involved in fistula care and
prevention efforts, including the UNFPA and the Campaign
to End Fistula, The Fistula Foundation, EngenderHealth, and Women and Health Alliance (WAHA) International. At
the time of launch, the map highlights over 150
health facilities providing fistula repair in 40 countries across Africa, South
East Asia, and the Middle East.
The overriding goal of the partnership
between these leading health organizations is that every woman with obstetric
fistula receives a life-restoring surgery and that all future cases are
prevented. Doing so requires many basic things—including an understanding of
the causes, the interventions, and the resources required. But understanding
where the problem is and where the current resources are today are essential
steps.
This map is critical to this effort of
further understanding as it represents the single-most complete set of
information on where cases are being treated and capacity exists. However,
although it is the single most complete source of information, it not complete
and not every site where care is being provided is included. The map will be
expanded and continuously updated with information provided by experts and
practitioners around the globe about facilities providing fistula repair and rehabilitation
services.
Since
2009, Direct Relief has:
- Provided
medical and surgical supplies to 11 facilities in 8 countries that provide
life-restoring fistula repair to approximately 3,000 women each year.
- Distributed
over $1.3 million in medical
resources from leading healthcare companies such as Johnson and Johnson,
Ethicon, Covidien, BD, CR Bard, Hospira, and Henry Schein, to allow fistula
surgeons to treat more women in need.
- Collaborated
with private foundations such as The Fistula Foundation to establish a surgical
theater in Somaliland to increase availability of fistula treatment, and to
train health providers in Western Kenya to ensure women with fistula are
properly identified and receive adequate care and treatment.
Stories
of Health and Hope
Learn about the women receiving
fistula repair and the health professionals providing life-restoring care.