Ghana, today joined the rest of the world to mark the ‘International Day to End Obstetric Fistula’ with a call for investment in ensuring quality health care for pregnant women in Ghana.
This year’s commemoration of the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula is on the theme: “Breaking the Cycle: Preventing Fistula Worldwide,” which calls for continuous education on the causes and prevention to end the menace.
Obstetric Fistula is a distressing complication of prolonged, obstructed labour, resulting in the leakage of urine or faeces or both through the vagina.
The smell of the leaking urine, faeces or both is constant and humiliating. This, if left untreated, could lead to chronic medical problems, including ulcerations and kidney diseases.
A study, carried out by the Ghana Health Service in 2015, estimated that about 1,300 new cases of fistula occur every year and yet, less than 100 cases are repaired each year leaving 1, 200 cases without care.
Each year, between 50,000 to 100,000 women worldwide are affected by obstetric fistula, with an estimated more than two million young women living with untreated obstetric fistula in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.
The development of obstetric fistula is linked to one of the major causes of maternal mortality, particularly obstructed labour.
Though the menace is a historical issue in the developed world, it is still prevalent in poor resourced countries like Ghana as about two million women in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia are still suffering from the disorder.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says, preventing and managing obstetric fistula would contribute to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal 3 of improving maternal health.
According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the average cost of fistula treatment- including surgery and post-operative care- is around $700, which is well beyond the reach of most women with the condition in Ghana.
It was against this background that calls were made on the government to make the treatment of Obstetric Fistula cases free, which would be a big relief for patients and to have more cases repaired.
Obstetric fistula is preventable and can be avoided by delaying the age of the first pregnancy, putting an end to harmful traditional practices, and ensuring timely access to obstetric care.
