OBSTETRIC FISTULAChallenge of Maternal Health

Care.

What is Obstetric Fistula? Unnatural communication between

walls separating women’s reproductive and excretory organs.

Result –Death of baby and Total incontinence of urine and/or faeces.

Cause –Prolonged unrelieved obstructed labour.

O.F- devastating but preventable condition primarily affecting young,poor and commonly uneducated woman in low resource settings.

These women lack means to access emergency obstetric care(….Ceaserian section).

Characteristics of fistula patients

Women are constantly wet with leaking urine and often develop genital sores’infections and offensive odour.

Uni/bilateral foot drop limiting routine activity due to spinal nerve damage.

Abandonement by husbands and family

Ostracisation by community.

How many women have obstetric fistula?

General estimates:A tleast 2 million women live with obstetric fistula in the developing world,and more than 50 000 new cases occur each year.

Underlying Causes Poverty Malnutrition Limited access to maternal health

care Stunted growth Culture of early marriages and

pregnancy

Treatment Reconstructive surgery can mend

the injury. Success rates as high as 90 % for

less complex cases. Average cost of fistula treatment is

$300.

Obstetric fistula still exists because

Health care systems fail to provide accessible,quality maternal health care,including family planning,skilled care at birth,basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric care and affordable treatment of fistula.

The key to ending obstetric fistula is to prevent it from occurring in the first place.

What must be done? Tackling underlying social and

economic causes. Empowering women and girls. Delaying marriage and childbirth.

Campaign To End Fistula Project by UNFPA in 47 countries. Overall goal is to make the condition

as rare in Africa,Asia and Arab states as it is in North America and Europe.

Preventing fistula from occurring. Treating affected women. Renewing hopes and dreams of those

suffering from the condition.

References http://www.endfistula.org http://www.fistulanetwork.org/Fistula

Network/user/Zambia%20OF%20Needs%20Assessment.pdf

http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/obstetric_fistula/facts/en/index9.html