Project Zero update: Fedis Woreda launch
May 02, 2025
Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia's Project Zero team recently launched the program in Fedis Woreda.
Following months of preparation, the fourth pilot of Project Zero, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s groundbreaking program to achieve Catherine Hamlin’s vision to eradicate obstetric fistula, launched on 22 March 2025. This comes after the first three successful pilots in Ale, Didesa and Seharti Woredas.
Hamlin’s Project Zero intervention in Fedis Woreda is supported by the Australian Embassy in Ethiopia and the Australian Government’s Direct AID Program.
Fedis Woreda
Estimated population
176,224
Estimated women of reproductive age
38,503
Health centres
5 (Fedis, Fechatu, Negeya, Riski and Talo)
Other health posts
21.
The Preparation Phase
The Fedis Project Team was established following a stringent recruitment process and includes a Team Leader, a Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist, two Hamlin Midwife Mentors and a Prevention Officer. The team will be based in an office provided by the woreda’s health office and the Boko health centre.
The team members completed induction training including:
- detailed information about Project Zero including its goals and vision
- hands-on training in obstetric fistula screening and diagnostic methods
- being shown the tools used for conducting awareness raising and house to house surveys
- detailed information about the woreda’s maternal healthcare system using Hamlin’s standard assessment.
The woreda’s maternal healthcare system was assessed using the Hamlin standard assessment, which identifies gaps in the management, skills and knowledge of the healthcare providers working in the maternal health unit of the health centres and the woreda’s maternal healthcare system overall.
Women’s awareness of obstetric fistula was also evaluated through a prepared questionnaire. Results from these assessments show that current awareness is 30.9% - the aim is to increase this to 70%.
The Launch
The Fedis Woreda Project Zero launch event was held on 22 March in Harar, attended by the senior management of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, the team from Hamlin’s Harar Fistula Hospital and stakeholders from the East Hararge zone and Fedis Woreda.
The event began with a blessing from religious leaders, followed by an opening speech by Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s CEO, Tesfaye Mamo. Tesfaye and the head of the woreda health office then signed the Memorandum of Understanding.
A briefing followed from Hanna Tesfaye, the project coordinator. Ayub, the team leader, then gave an overview of the activities planned, highlighting the key tasks of the first phase. Participants shared ideas on how to work together effectively to improve Fedis Woreda’s maternal healthcare services and prevent obstetric fistula.
The next steps
The first four weeks are concentrating on raising awareness of obstetric fistula in the woreda via education sessions for healthcare providers and other community and religious leaders. This is followed by house-to-house surveys to find women with obstetric fistula and transport them to a Hamlin fistula hospital for treatment.
Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Elders past, present and emerging throughout Australia and the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Owners of the land and waterways on which our Australian office is situated. We acknowledge the many ethnic groups in Ethiopia and their ancestral and cultural connection to the land where our work is undertaken.