Fistula e.V. Project in Ethiopia:Helping Ethiopian women with childbirth injuries
Reported, December 05, 2011
Fistula e.V. supports the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia. At this clinic, women are treated who have suffered severe internal injuries, an obstetric fistula, during childbirth. The reason is the lack of medical care during the birth by a lack of knowledge, (too) early pregnancies, poverty and malnutrition of those affected. Due to the injuries the women can no longer control their urine and/or feces: they become permanently incontinent. In addition to the very bad effects on the women’s health they are often cast out of their communities because of their offensive smell. Many have to live isolated in a hut on the outskirts of the village. It is estimated that 2 million women worldwide are affected by this. And each year, 50 000 to 100,000 more women suffer the same fate.
A rather simple surgery can cure over 90% of those affected and help them to lead a decent life again. The Fistula Hospital in Addis Ababa is dedicated to this task. It is funded entirely by donations. Since opening in 1974 it has already enabled more than 40,000 women to undergo surgery. Per patient costs equal an average of 300-400 . This includes the operation costs and hospital stay, a new dress, and the bus ticket for the women’s sometimes very long journey home. The women themselves have to pay anything for treatment.
In addition to the costs for the operations itself money is also needed for medicine, medical supplies and especially the training of new midwives that help prevent fistulas in the future. As their stay lasts sometimes several months the patients get also the opportunity at the hospital to learn how to read and write to better their chances in life.
Credits and More information at:
http://www.betterplace.org/en/projects/4158-help-ethiopian-women-with-childbirth-injuries