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You have helped restore health and dignity to over 60,000 Ethiopian women. Thank you.
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.
Over 60 years ago pioneering Australian surgeons Drs Catherine and Reg Hamlin, started their extraordinary journey with an initial three-year posting to Ethiopia. Today, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia reflects a lifetime quest to provide world-best treatment to the most marginalised women: those who have suffered an obstetric fistula. Fistula is an internal injury caused by a prolonged, unrelieved obstructed labour, which leaves women incontinent, humiliated and cut off from their communities.
Today, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia is a healthcare network of over 550 Ethiopian staff servicing six hospitals, a rehabilitation and reintegration centre, the Hamlin College of Midwives and over 90 Hamlin-supported rural midwifery clinics. Hamlin is the reference organisation and leader in the fight to eradicate obstetric fistula around the world, blazing a trail for holistic treatment and care that empowers women to reassert their humanity, secure their health and well-being, and regain their roles in their families and communities.
Established by Dr Catherine Hamlin, 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 you give and the work we do to end obstetric fistula.
See the impact of your support…
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women treated
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Hamlin Midwives graduated
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Ethiopian team members
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.
Treatment
An obstetric fistula can usually be repaired with a single life-changing surgery, which can take as little as two hours for simple cases. Hamlin’s clinical team is globally renowned for their fistula-repair surgical technique and train surgeons from all over the world.
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
Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia Launches Project Zero: The Roadmap to End Obstetric Fistula
5 May, is the International Day of the Midwife and 2022 marks the 100 year anniversary of the International Confederation of Midwives!
23 May, 2023
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Your support in action: Haile’s story
Haile’s happy life with her new husband in the remote hillside village of Yirgachefe in South Ethiopia was shattered when she lost her baby in childbirth and sustained a fistula injury three years ago.
3 April, 2023
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International Women’s Day 2022: Break the bias on fistula
As part of International Women’s Day 2022, Hamlin is reflecting on the importance of breaking the bias that obstetric fistula patients face.
27 March, 2023
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Celebrating Hamlin Midwives on International Day of the Midwife
5 May, is the International Day of the Midwife and 2022 marks the 100 year anniversary of the International Confederation of Midwives!
27 March, 2023
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International Day to End Obstetric Fistula 2023
On the International Day to Eradicate Obstetric Fistula, and every day, the Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation remains determined to build a fistula-free world for every woman.
9 March, 2023
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