Obstetric fistula is one of the most severe childbirth injuries, caused mainly by prolonged, obstructed labor without timely medical intervention. Women suffering from fistula experience continuous leakage of urine or feces, leading to social isolation, stigma, and lifelong emotional trauma.Despite being preventable and treatable, fistula persists in regions with limited access to quality maternal healthcare, early marriages, malnutrition, and poverty.
Obstetric fistula surveillance involves monitoring the incidence, prevalence, and risk factors of this childbirth injury to guide prevention and treatment programs. It relies on community-based identification, hospital record reviews, and national demographic health surveys (DHS) to track cases. Key methods include integrating fistula modules into household surveys with LHWs and CMWsand tracking obstructed labor, which often causes the incontinence.
Obstetric fistula awareness seminars, often centered around the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula (May 23), focus on educating communities to prevent, treat, and reintegrate women suffering from this childbirth injury. These seminars highlight that fistula is preventable, treatable, and a violation of reproductive rights, aimed at breaking the silence and stigma. High level media coverage is mandatory to push the agenda to end fistula at national level.
Fistula awareness is crucial for political and religious leaders because obstetric fistula is a catastrophic, preventable childbirth injury that reflects deep social, economic, and health inequities. For these leaders, awareness is the key to driving policy changes, allocating resources, reducing social stigma, and promoting maternal health practices that can eliminate the condition.
A distinguished parliamentary group visited Koohi Goth Hospital to observe and support ongoing efforts in raising awareness about Obstetric Fistula.
During the visit, the delegation was briefed on the hospital’s dedicated services for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of fistula patients. The team also interacted with healthcare professionals and patients to better understand the challenges faced by women suffering from this condition.
