International Day to End Obstetric Fistula: call for quality maternal health care for all
23 May 2024, Cairo, Egypt – Each year, globally, there are up to 100 000 new cases of obstetric fistula – a devastating but largely preventable health condition. Over 2 million girls and women worldwide are estimated to be living with untreated fistulas. In the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region, numerous girls and women across several countries endure this severe childbirth injury.
Obstetric fistula – which accounts for up to 6% of all maternal deaths globally – is a hole between the birth canal and bladder or rectum that is caused by an obstructed labour. The injury results in constant urinary or faecal incontinence, which often leads to social stigma and exclusion, as well as skin infections and comorbidities including kidney disorders.
Yet it has remained a ‘hidden’ problem because it affects some of the most marginalized people – poor, young and often illiterate girls and women in remote parts of the world.
Accessible midwifery and obstetric care, and affordable and accessible treatment of fistula are essential to prevent and manage fistula. So too is the provision of a social safety net for girls and women in every part of the world, including the poorest areas.
Obstetric fistula still exists because health systems fail to provide accessible, quality maternal health care, including family planning and skilled birth attendance. Adolescent pregnancy, childbirth at an early
