Each year, approximately100,000 women are affected by obstetric fistula world wide

Imagine you are a young woman in rural Pakistan or a village in Liberia. You get married, become pregnant, and soon find yourself in labor awaiting the birth of your child. The labor is long and difficult, and the baby's head gets stuck in the pelvis because it is too small to allow the baby to pass. After many days and with no access to a doctor to perform a c-section, a hole, also known as a fistula, forms between the vagina and the bladder, urethra, or rectum due to the unrelieved pressure. When the baby finally delivers, usually as a stillbirth, you are left with a fistula which causes uncontrollable and unstoppable dribbling of urine or feces through your vagina. 

The WHO estimates up to 100,000 women develop fistulas every year, and most of them from impoverished areas around the world. They are left to suffer alone because they are ostracized from their communities due to the constant smell of urine and feces. Surgical repair is the only cure but many suffer for years, even decades, as there aren't enough skilled surgeons that specialize in this procedure.  

Treating and curing obstetrical fistulas come with many challenges. Having a skilled surgeon to close the wound is only one of the many steps needed for healing. Before a woman can even be operated on, she must have had good nutrition that promotes healthy skin and tissue so the surgical site does not break down. She must also have access to nurses who provide quality post-operative care. It is also crucial that the woman has regular follow up care to check on how her wound is healing.

For these reasons, we prioritize creating partnerships with local healthcare facilities and agencies invested in fistula repair and other pelvic floor disorders in order to optimize treatment and healing.

IMR fights to end fistula by:

1. Providing free surgery to victims of fistula in partnership with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and hospitals around the world. We currently work in Liberia, Madagascar, Gambia, and Pakistan. 

2. Training gynecologists and other surgeons to become experts in fistula repair surgeries.

3. Training nurses that care for patients pre- and post-operatively in order to maintain the integrity of the repair.

4. Training midwives to identify abnormal labor so that women can be transferred for C-sections in a timely manner. 

Read more about our projects in Women’s Health and Gynecologic Surgeries in our blog