Obstetric Fistula

What causes Obstetric Fistula?

Obstetric fistula is caused by a prolonged, obstructed childbirth, when a woman lacks access to emergency medical care. During this time, the mother’s delicate tissues in the birth canal are destroyed while trying to give birth.

Tragically, 93% of women who suffer an obstetric fistula will give birth to a stillborn baby, often after an agonising obstructed labor that has lasted several days. 

Due to a lack of quality healthcare, particularly in Ethiopia’s remote and rural regions, it is estimated that tens of thousands of women are still living with untreated obstetric fistula in Ethiopia.

How does Obstetric Fistula Impact a Women’s Life?

Although the condition is almost entirely preventable, it is still a huge public health issue. Without an understanding of the complication and its causes, women in Ethiopia are frequently blamed for their condition.

Obstetric fistula symptoms include urinary and/or fecal incontinence that can lead to severe infections and ulcerations of the vaginal tract. Some patients suffer from paralysis caused by nerve damage.

Survivors are often subject to severe social stigma due to their smell, perceptions of uncleanliness, a mistaken assumption of venereal disease and, in some cases, infertility.

Nearly all patients at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia report psychological issues associated with their condition. 

These terrible injuries leave women trapped in a life of pain, shame, and isolation. 

How is Obstetric Fistula Treated?

In most cases, obstetric fistula can be repaired with a single life-changing surgery, but for some women who have suffered for many years, their injuries will require more complex treatment.

At Hamlin’s six hospitals in Ethiopia, women receive life-changing obstetric fistula treatment free of charge, thanks to a community of people who are determined to eradicate fistula, forever.

Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia is globally renowned for its obstetric fistula treatment. Surgeons from around the world visit and train at Hamlin hospitals to learn best practice fistula-repair surgery.

Developed by Dr Catherine Hamlin, this pioneering surgical technique has been recognised by global leading organisations. Click here to read the profiles of Hamlin’s Clinical Team.

Can Obstetric Fistula be Prevented?

Timely access to quality maternal healthcare is critical in preventing obstetric fistulas.

In Australia, obstetric fistulas are virtually a thing of the past.

This is not the case in Ethiopia where more than 50% of births take place without a doctor or nurse present. As a result, for Ethiopian women the risks of suffering a traumatic birth injury are high.

Midwives are the key to a fistula-free Ethiopia, that’s why Dr Catherine Hamlin established the Hamlin College of Midwives in 2007. Over 230 Hamlin Midwives have graduated from the College so far, and there are over 90 Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics across rural Ethiopia. 

The impact is remarkable – when a Hamlin Midwife arrives at a rural clinic in Ethiopia, new cases of obstetric fistula drop to almost zero in nearby villages. Last year alone, Hamlin Midwives delivered 28,283 babies. 

Obstetric Fistula in Ethiopia

It is estimated that more than 31,000 women in Ethiopia are living with obstetric fistula, with an additional 1,000 cases occurring every year. At the current rate of progress, it could take more than five decades to find and treat every case.

Through Project Zero, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia is determined to accelerate the rate of change for the women of Ethiopia.

Going from door-to-door, Woreda-by-Woreda, our goal is to find and treat every woman in Ethiopia living with obstetric fistula and do all in our power to prevent child birth injuries in the future.

At the same time, we will strengthen maternal healthcare services within Ethiopia, to reduce the incidence of birth injuries, and our national education campaign will give women the tools and knowledge they need to give birth safely.

Our goal is to Eradicate Fistula. Forever.