Today May 23, marks the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula under the theme “Tracking Fistula – Transforming Lives. It is estimated that this condition usually caused by prolonged obstructed labour causing a hole in the birth canal, affects two million women and girls in developing countries.
Speaking ahead of the commemorations, Executive
Director of United Nations Population Fund (UNPA), Dr Babatunde Osotimehin called on countries to take steps to prevent
fistulas by addressing underlying medical and socio-economic causes, eliminating
gender-based social and economic inequities, preventing child marriage and
early childbearing and promoting education, especially for girls.
He
said while tracking and treating all fistula cases was crucial, eliminating the
health crisis of obstetric fistula, requires scaling up countries’ capacities to
provide access to equitable,
high-quality sexual and reproductive health services, including family planning
and maternity care, especially comprehensive emergency obstetric care.
"Obstetric
fistula highlights persistent global inequalities in access to health care and
basic human rights. Most women who develop fistula remain untreated for their
entire lives, and the condition can easily recur in women and girls whose
fistula has been surgically treated but who receive little or no medical
follow-up and then become pregnant again.”
To
address the neglected health and human rights violation of obstetric fistula, ten
years ago, UNFPA and its partners, launched
the global campaign to end fistula. Since then 47, 000 women and girls have
undergone fistula repair surgery. Partner organisations have provided treatment
to many more women and girls living with the condition.
However,
much remains to be done, and more support and momentum are needed to enable the
Campaign to expand its reach to all corners of the world where women suffering
from fistula remain isolated and often unaware that treatment is available or
even possible.
“To
treat fistula and provide women with follow-up medical care, we need to know
more about how many women and girls are in need of services and also where they
live. In most instances, stigma forces women living with the condition to
remain hidden and isolates them from families and communities. By systematically
registering and tracking each woman and girl who has or had an obstetric
fistula, we can make enormous strides in improving their well-being and
increasing the chances of their babies’ survival in subsequent pregnancies,”
explain Dr Osotumehin. PYM
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