Ethiopia 
United States 
Canada 
New Zealand 
United Kingdom 
Netherlands 
World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on 10th October. It is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma.
For our obstetric fistula patients, repairing their injury with surgery is not the end of their story. Without an understanding of the complication and its causes, women in Ethiopia are frequently blamed for their condition.
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 Hamlin’s Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital report psychological issues associated with their condition. These terrible injuries leave women trapped in a life of pain, shame, and isolation.
Sister Serkalem is the resident psychologist at Hamlin’s Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. She understands the importance of prioritising women’s mental health treatment after years of suffering the emotional and psychological trauma resulting from an obstetric fistula. She tells us:
“Obstetric fistula is one of the most predisposing factors for mental illness. Stigma and discrimination play the biggest role for mental illness for fistula patients. Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia supports these women by assessing their symptoms, giving psychotherapy and offering medication, as needed. Let’s work together to prevent mental illness caused by obstetric fistula. Thank you, dear donors and partners for supporting our work.”
On World Mental Health Day, you can ensure obstetric fistula patients at Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia receive the mental health treatment they need by clicking here.
