Christy Turlington once said; “Access to maternal healthcare is a right”. This means that it must be accessible to every woman regardless of their financial status or geographical location.

Each year, between 50,000 to 100,000 women worldwide are affected by obstetric fistula, with an estimation of more than 3 million young women living with untreated obstetric fistula in Asia and sub- Saharan Africa. In most cases this is more feasible in the developed countries compared to the developing countries.

Obstetric Fistula is a distressing complication of prolonged, obstructed labour resulting in leakage of urine and faeces or both through the vagina. The smell from the condition is constant and humiliating. If left untreated, fistula can lead to chronic medical problems including ulcerations and kidney disease.

The menace is a historical issue in the developed world. However, it is still prevalent in poor resource countries like Ghana. This is based on the fact that, about 2 million women in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are still suffering from the disorder. Meanwhile, it has been eliminated in Europe and America whiles women in developing countries continue to suffer in silence.

Stephanie Linus at the launch

Launched on the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula, under the theme, “Leaving no one behind: let us commit to ending fistula now!”, the 100 in 100 Initiative will enable the country to clear the backlog and create awareness to prevent new cases from occurring.

A study carried out by the Ghana Health Service in 2015 estimated that about 1,300 new cases occur every year. Yet UNFPA and other partners such as the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, and CSOs among others are only able to treat fewer than 100 cases a year.

One may ask, what happens to the 1,200 women with the disorder?

The United Nations Population Fund -Ghana reveals that, the average cost of Fistula treatment is approximately $700 which is equivalent to GHS 34,244.50 Ghanaian Cedis. This is obviously beyond the reach of most women in the condition.

This compelled the UNFPA together with the National Obstetric Fistula Task force and the GHS to launch a National Obstetric Fistula Prevention and Management Strategy in 2017. As part of the implementation of the strategy, the 100 in 100 initiative was launched on the International Day to end Obstetric Fistula, to enable the country clear the backlog and create awareness to prevent new cases from occurring. The 100 in 100 initiative is simply treating 100 Fistula cases in 100 days. This means that, more resources would have to be committed to the treatment of the disorder.

In this regard, the UNFPA also unveiled Claudia Lumor, CEO of Glitz African Magazine as a Goodwill Ambassador for Ghana who seeks to advocate for the access of Sexual and Reproductive Health Information and Services, Family planning services, Safe motherhood as well as to advance the rights of adolescent girls. The Goodwill Ambassador is going to ensure that reproductive health remains at the heart of the UNFPA as an organization.

Ms. Lumor insists on the fact that, health care must be a right that will be demanded and that there would be more advocacy to eliminate the Fistula menace.

The event saw some medical practitioners being recognized and awarded for their efforts in working on cases of Fistula. This seems to empower them to keep on the good work to save women and adolescent girls from the pain and shame.

The event was very relevant as it served as a platform for awareness creation on Obstetric Fistula.

In an interaction with a participant, he had expressed that, he knew nothing about Fistula until that very day during a movie screening on Fistula titled “DRY” by Stephanie Linus who is a UNFPA Regional Ambassador for Maternal Health. The movie portrayed some causes of Fistula and certain myths and misconceptions around it.

Early marriage and lack of appropriate facilities to take care of pregnant women were some causes portrayed, and these are real issues faced by society. Most children are being denied of their childhood and are being forced into marriages only to end up in harmful situations such as fistula and are stigmatized in society on no fault of theirs.

The media was charged to take up the challenge to champion the dissemination of messages on fistula in order to enhance the awareness creation which will go a long to educate the public, thereby doing away with certain traditional and cultural practices that may pose danger on women and demystify some myths around Obstetric Fistula.

The producer of the movie, Stephanie Linus elaborates on how weak the health systems are while she states that, “we should not be talking about fistula in a few years to come”.

It’s about time sexual and reproductive health Information reaches girls and women in deprived areas so as to empower them in a bid to demand their rights to proper health care. This will help save lots of women from the lot of anguish that comes with the fistula condition.

Mavis Naa Korley Aryee
Erica Ehiamah

CYIB – Curious Minds