Obstetric fistula is one of the most debilitating and serious childbirth injuries.
Donate now to help end the devastation of fistula for women like Safiya.
When 30-year-old Safiya, from Nigeria, West Africa, went into labour, something didn’t feel right. She couldn’t push.
After 24 hours in labour – and 24 hours of pain, confusion and fear – Safiya underwent a c-section. Initially, relieved to have delivered her baby, she soon realised that something was very wrong. Safiya was leaking urine, uncontrollably.
Safiya had an obstetric fistula. A condition that occurs when a prolonged, obstructed labour tears a hole between the birth canal and bladder or rectum, causing debilitating incontinence. It is one of the most devastating and dangerous childbirth injuries.
In the UK, fistula isn’t well known, because childbirth is safer, and it is almost always treated immediately. But Nigeria, where Safiya lives, is one of the most dangerous countries for giving birth, where over 40% of the world’s obstetric fistula cases occur.
It is hard 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, and many women face rejection and isolation.
Your donation will help women and girls like Safiya 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
Donate now to help provide surgery to women and girls living fistula.