Under the global theme “Breaking the Cycle: Preventing Obstetric Fistula Worldwide,” HEAL Africa commemorated the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula on Friday, May 23, 2024. The event brought together several provincial healthcare actors from North Kivu, numerous community actors and opinion leaders from Goma, as well as the staff and patients undergoing treatment at HEAL Africa Hospital.

The celebration of the 2024 International Day to End Obstetric Fistula emphasized the prevention of obstetric fistula, a debilitating condition that brings great shame to patients. “Preventing obstetric fistula is a collective responsibility,” emphasized Dr. John MUZIGE, provincial coordinator of the National Reproductive Health Program in North Kivu, in his remarks.

Free restorative care at HEAL Africa

In his presentation, Dr. Barthelemy Aksanti, gynecologist at HEAL Africa hospital, highlighted the importance of free restorative care for women suffering from obstetric fistula. He explained that it is generally women facing extreme poverty who are most affected by this condition.

Thanks to the support of its partners like Engender Health, USAID and Fistula Foundation, HEAL Africa Hospital provides free care to patients suffering from fistulas.

There are multiple factors contributing to the emergence of this condition, but the most well-known are pregnancies that are too early, too numerous, too closely spaced, or too late.

These factors are exacerbated by the isolation of rural regions in the DRC, from where the majority of obstetric fistula cases treated by HEAL Africa originate. In rural areas, some women still give birth at home. Those who are fortunate enough to give birth in medical facilities generally arrive late due to the lack of road infrastructure in remote regions of the DRC.

Obstetric fistula is actually a perforation between the vagina and the bladder and/or rectum, caused by prolonged labor during childbirth and generally occurring in the absence of rapid and quality obstetric care. It leads to a leakage of urine and/or feces through the vagina and can cause long-term chronic medical problems.

Obstetric fistula occurs when there is a perforation between the vagina and bladder and/or rectum, usually because of prolonged labor during childbirth and in the absence of rapid and quality obstetric care. This leads to a leakage of urine and/or feces through the vagina and can result in long-term chronic medical problems.