Do you know about fistula?
Obstetric fistula is one of the most serious & tragic injuries that can occur during childbirth. It is a hole between the birth canal & the bladder or rectum caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without treatment.
For women with obstructed labor, labor that goes unattended, the labor can last up to six or seven days. The labor produces contractions that push the baby’s head against the mother’s pelvic bone. The soft tissues between the baby’s head and the pelvic bone are compressed and do not receive adequate blood flow. The lack of blood flow causes this delicate tissue to die, and where it dies holes are created between the laboring mother’s bladder and vagina and/or between the rectum and vagina. This is what produces incontinence in a fistula patient.
Fistula most commonly occurs among women who live in low-resource countries, who give birth without access to medical help. If a woman’s labor becomes obstructed, she could remain in excruciating pain for days before her baby is finally dislodged. Her baby likely dies and she is often left with an obstetric fistula, a small hole created by constant pressure from the fetus, which renders her incontinent. Yet, the injury can be avoided by delaying the age of first pregnancy, by the cessation of harmful traditional practices & by timely access to quality obstetric care.
According to the UN, an estimated 2 million women in sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, the Arab region, and Latin America and the Caribbean are living with this injury, and some 50,000 to 100,000 new cases develop worldwide each year.
As we mark the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula in Kenya, 35 out of the 300 women who have been screened for fistula at the Embu Level 5 hospital will this week undergo surgery. The drive is being supported by Safaricom Foundation, Freedom from Fistula Foundation and Flying Doctors Society of Africa.
“We seek to raise awareness on obstetric fistula and mobilize women suffering from this condition to come forward for surgery to rectify the condition,” Said, Geroge Mbyuki Head of Mt Kenya region Safaricom.
A recently published report by Amref Health Africa on the prevalence of obstetric fistula estimates that more than 6 million women in Kenya suffer from the condition, which is caused by prolonged or obstructed labour.
“We believe that this exercise will restore the dignity of the women. They will be relieved of the constant incontinence, shame, social segregation and health problems. This way they will be able to be productive in society again,” Said, Margaret Wanjiru, Director, Freedom from Fistula Foundation.
Last week, Safaricom Foundation launched its three-year strategic roadmap, which commits to focus on health, economic empowerment and education. Within the health pillar, the foundation will focus on deploying maternal health interventions across the country.
