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While enormous progress has been made, more than 31,000 women in Ethiopia still live with an untreated obstetric fistula injury. And every year, another 1,000 new fistula cases will occur.
Through Project Zero we’ve made it our mission to bring this number down to zero, by focusing on identification, prevention, and education.
Join us as we roll out this life-changing project across the country and make Dr Catherine Hamlin’s vision of a Fistula-Free Ethiopia a reality.
Restoring Health and Dignity
At Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation, we are dedicated to restoring the health and dignity of women who have survived a horrendous – and preventable – childbirth injury: obstetric fistula.
65 years ago, Drs Catherine and Reg Hamlin, started their extraordinary journey to Ethiopia, providing a lifetime quest of world-best treatment for women who suffered from an obstetric fistula. An internal injury caused by a prolonged, unrelieved obstructed labour, which leaves women incontinent, humiliated and cut off from their communities.
With a healthcare network of over 550 Ethiopian staff servicing hospitals, a rehabilitation and reintegration centre, the Hamlin College of Midwives and over 90 Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics.
The Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation raises funds for Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia. We have one purpose and one purpose only: eradicating fistula. Forever.
Ensure future generations of Ethiopian women live free from obstetric fistula
Leave a gift in your Will to continue Catherine’s journey.
The Tragedy of Obstetric Fistula
Imagine you are in labour, giving birth at home with no medical support. You are praying things will go well. They don’t. After four long days of excruciating obstructed labour, you give birth to a stillborn baby. On top of this grief, you find yourself unable to control your own body waste.
This is the tragic reality for too many Ethiopian women. Obstetric fistula is a nightmare.
Empowering Women
Nothing shows the impact of our work better than the stories of women who have had their dignity and life restored, thanks to the support of people like you.
See the impact of your support
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Towards a fistula-free Ethiopia
The Hamlin Model of Care
Dr Catherine Hamlin had unending love for Ethiopia’s women. Based on her core values, the Hamlin Model of Care is grounded in a fundamental respect for every patient and a commitment to provide complete and compassionate care.
Treating Patients
An obstetric fistula can usually be repaired with a single life-changing surgery. The Hamlin clinical team is globally renowned for its fistula-repair treatment technique, training surgeons from all over the world.
Future Prevention
The key to a fistula-free Ethiopia, lies in preventative measures. The Hamlin College of Midwives trains and deploys midwives to work in remote areas of Ethiopia – preventing fistula injuries in the first place.
Rehabilitation
Fistula leaves physical and emotional scars. Surgical treatment at Hamlin is supplemented with physiotherapy and counselling to help recovering patients regain their physical and mental health.
The Hamlin Shop
Discover our gorgeous range of ethical gifts. When you make a purchase at the Hamlin Shop, you are supporting Fairtrade artisans and Ethiopian women with fistula.
Read our Hamlin Blog
Happy 100th Birthday, Catherine!
Our entire global Hamlin family acknowledged Dr Catherine Hamlin’s 100th birthday on On 24 January 2024.
23 January, 2024
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Honour your loved one’s life
When you lose someone you love, you want their memory to last forever. Choosing to honour a loved one with a gift in memory to Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation is a powerful way to celebrate their life and cherish special memories while creating a legacy that will impact future generations. A bereavement gift can also be […]
18 November, 2024
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The symbolism of the iconic Hamlin blanket
Likelesh has called the hospital by the river her home for decades. Having suffered a devastating obstetric fistula injury when she was younger, she arrived at Hamlin’s Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital seeking treatment. But the love and support she found there completely changed the trajectory of her life. Born and raised in a rural village […]
18 November, 2024
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Your questions answered: how do we find women living with obstetric fistula?
In the third of our Clinical Conversations series, Tolera Adamu, Patient Identification Officer, explains how he finds women living with childbirth injuries in Ethiopia’s remote and rural communities. What is the most difficult part of your role? The challenging part is finding suspected obstetric fistula patients because there are many barriers: cultural and geographic. On […]
18 November, 2024
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Hanan is proud to be a Hamlin Midwife
Hanan is proud to call herself a Hamlin Midwife. She recently graduated from the Hamlin College of Midwives with a BSc degree in Midwifery and has returned to her home state of Benishangul-Gumuz in northwestern Ethiopia. She is looking forward to serving the women in her community. We caught up with Hanan after her graduation ceremony […]
4 November, 2024
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Your questions anwered: the emotional toll of obstetric fistula
In the second of our Clinical Conversations series, Dr Melaku Abriha, Medical Director at Hamlin’s Mekele Fistula Hospital, explains the psychological impact of obstetric fistula. How does obstetric fistula impact women emotionally? Around 41% of our patients suffer psychologically because of their obstetric fistula injury. This ranges from minor anxiety, to post traumatic stress disorder, major […]
3 November, 2024
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