As Malawi joined with the rest of world in commemorating International Day to End Obstetric Fistula which falls on May 23, every year, it has been learnt that over 700 women have been treated and repaired from the disease through the Bwaira Fistula Care Centre in the capital Lilongwe.
The development comes amid the latest United Nations (UN) reports which has revealed that 2 million women in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Arab region, Latin America and Caribbean are living with Fistula injuries with 50,000 to 100,000 new cases of the disease yearly.
With this year’s theme, “End Fistula, restore woman’s dignity service as an opportunity for world leaders to communities to end the scourage of Fistula in our life time”, UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon through a press statement released on May 22, 2015 which is also available to Maravi Post, is calling the international community to significantly intensify comprehensive health systems in supporting women to end the disease.
“The fact that Fistula persists primarily among poorest and most marginalized women and girls in the world, is an egregious outcome of social, economic and gender inequalities, the denial of human rights and inadequate access to quality reproductive health services including maternal and new born care. We have a moral obligation as a global community to complete the unfinished agenda of eradication of Fistula”, urges Ban.
Inline with the global appeal to end the disease, Malawi as one of the developing nation with cases of Fistula, has made a tremendous stride by treating and repairing women and girls from the injuries the disease has on the them through Bwaira Fistula Care Centre located at Lilongwe District Hospital which has so far helped 700 women since its establishment in 2010 with funding from Freedom From Fistula Foundation based in the United Kingdom (UK).
Speaking in an exclusive interview with Maravi Post on Friday, when the facility held its commemoration day to end Fistula, Margret Moyo, Bwaira Fistula Care Centre’s National Coordinator expressed gratitude over the work results her team has shown to the nation by rescuing women and girls who lost hope due to scourge of Fistula.
Moyo said the Malawi has made a tremendous strides in helping women and girls with little resources available on the facility by also supporting them with entrepreneurship trainings including knitting, tailoring that after repairing from the disease were able stand economically.
“The facility has managed to repair about 700 women and girls whose lives are normal now since its opening in 2010. In the process of treating and repairing them, are also equipped with entrepreneurship skills on knitting, tailoring and business management for their economic independence in their families as the disease brings isolation and shame to their communities.
“Apart from that, those repaired act as role model in their communities on ending Fistula since are also empowered with knowledge on how to reach their fellow women on the diseases based on the disease’s experience. Limited space is compromising our work as we repair 250 women and girls from Fistula yearly. So, it’s our sincere hope that soon, the new building will be provided for continue accommodating more patients”, said Moyo.
One of the repaired women from Fistula, Esnart Msampha of Msampha village, Traditional Authority Chadza (TA) in Lilongwe rural who has lived with the disease for 11 years (from 2002-2013) told Maravi Post in an interview that life has come back to normal with the care and treatment she got from the facility.
“I’m very grateful for the timely support I got from this facility in repairing the plague of Fistula which brought shame to my entire family that only my husband stood by me. Now, life is normal as I’m able to do some grocery business and attending social gathering which was difficult before the treatment”, lauds Msampha.
Obstetric Fistula is a hole in the birth canal which occurs as a result of prolonged or obstructed labour without medical intervention among women and girls whose physical effects including the continual smell of leaking urine or feaces such that failure to treat early leads to chronic medical problems such as ulcerations, kidney disease and nerves damage in women’s legs.
Women and girls with Fistula are subjected to social isolation, discrimination, humiliation which leads them into relying on begging and commercial sex work.
In this regard, the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) and its partners launched the global campaign to end Fistula in 2003 that with 12 years since this effort began, the organization (UNFPA) has supported over 57,000 Fistula repair surgeries for women and girls.
