Obstetric fistula is one of the most debilitating and serious childbirth injuries.
We must end the devastation of fistula for women and girls like Arziki. Will you join us?
Imagine never feeling clean, no matter how much you wash. Imagine being so afraid of going to the toilet that you limit how much you eat and drink. Imagine living with constant discomfort, agony, and deep shame.
For Arziki, who lives in Nigeria, West Africa, this was her reality ever since she experienced a horrific childbirth injury, at just thirteen years old: fistula.
It is almost impossible to comprehend the trauma of labour for a child – followed by the humiliation and indignity of constantly leaking urine.
“I noticed the bedsheet was wet. I was told I had developed a fistula.”
An obstetric fistula happens when, during a prolonged labour, the baby becomes trapped in the birth canal and the physical pressure tears a hole between the birth canal and the bladder or the rectum.
It is difficult to fully comprehend the stigmatising impact of fistula for women in Nigeria. The leaking of urine and faeces stains a woman’s clothes, and the wetness and smell is extremely uncomfortable. All of this is made more difficult by the rejection that many women and girls face by their families and friends, and sometimes their whole communities.
Your donation can enable women and girls like Arziki to access the corrective surgery they urgently need.
Penelope Wilton, Actor and Friend of CBM
“More than 150,000 women are living in with obstetric fistula in Nigeria simply because they don’t have access to quality maternal healthcare services.
This debilitating condition leaves women isolated and alone, stigmatised by their communities, all because of a medical condition that can be treated.
It’s heartbreaking to know that some women have been living with the devastating impacts of obstetric fistula for years, even decades.
This is why the work of CBM and their partners in Nigeria is vital, and they need your support today to reach women living in some of the world’s poorest communities.”
What is Fistula?
Fistula is a debilitating condition causing incontinence and a risk of life-threatening infection. A fistula (a hole in the birth canal) is usually the result of prolonged labour and lack of maternal healthcare.
More than two million women are living with fistula in low-and-middle income countries. According to the World Health Organisation, 50,000 to 100,000 women worldwide develop obstetric fistula every single year. In these countries, for every woman who receives treatment, at least 50 go without.
40% of obstetric fistula cases occur in Nigeria. It is one of the world’s most dangerous places to give birth. Although obstetric fistula surgery is relatively straightforward, healthcare workers may not have received the training necessary to identify and treat the condition.
We are working with partner hospitals in Nigeria to support access to quality maternal and new-born health services, which can prevent and treat fistula.
Donate now
Please help women and girls like Arziki access life-changing fistula surgery, recover, and rebuild their lives.