UN, Tanzania step up fight against obstetric fistula
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E-mail Xinhua, May 23, 2017
The United Nations in Tanzania said on Monday it was joining forces with the Tanzanian government to step up the fight to end fistula.
Fistula is a condition caused by prolonged, obstructed labor, which leaves women inconsistent and uncontrollably leaking urine, faeces or both.
A statement by the UN in Tanzania said the fight to end the deadly condition affecting hundreds of women will also be joined by other partners, including the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) and the Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT).
The UN announced the cause to end fistula at the commemoration of the 4th International Day to Obstetric Fistula held in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.
The theme of this year's International Day to End Obstetric Fistula was "hope, healing, and dignity for all" which called for the need to realize the fundamental human rights of all women and girls, especially those excluded and stunned by society.
"Due to the stigma and lack of information around fistula, many women hide themselves away in complete isolation," said the statement.
The statement said CCBRT and AMREF were tackling the condition in 14 health facilities across Tanzania, adding that last year the two medical organizations provided life-changing surgeries to 1,246 women living with fistula.
It is estimated that 3,000 women develop fistula in Tanzania every year, leading to a significant backlog in the number of women requiring treatment.
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has supported more than 85,000 fistula repair surgeries in Tanzania since 2003, and more than 15,000 cases in 2016 alone.
But more than 2 million women still live with the condition, and 50,000 to 100,000 develop fistula every year, according to UNFPA.
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