Health minister Isaac Adewole says prevalence of obstetric fistula, despite a declining trend, is “still high and unacceptable”. Up to 148,000 women get fistulas—a tear in the vaginal wall, which occurs during obstructed labour, allowing faeces or urine to leak through without control.Adewole spoke at the 6th International Conference of International Society on Obstetric Fistula Surgeon and meeting of International Obstetric Fistula Working Group in Abuja, and called for promotion of measures to prevent fistula.
He said continued incidence of fistula indicated “enormous gaps” in maternal health care. To prevent fistula, the World Health Organisation recommends delaying the age of first pregnancy, cessation of harmful traditional practice as female genital mutilation and providing time access to care during pregnancy and childbirth.
Nigeria has designated three centres for fistula care in Ebonyi, Katsina and Bauchi and helped trained doctors and nurses. A US-funded group Engender Health has also helped trained fistula surgeons to repair fistulas, but few are willing to provide fistula surgery and many already trained are switching to other specialties.
A national working group on obstetric fistula, co-chaired by Professor Oladosu Ojengbede, now coordinates programme for elimination of the condition, which affects up to 12,000 women each year.
Source:MWN