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The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been at the forefront in trying to help Zimbabwe fight obstetric fistula, TechnoMagTV has established.
This came out at the Amnesty International Zimbabwe one-day training workshop held a Sexual Reproduction Health Rights [SRHR] in Harare yesterday.
Medical experts took turns to educate the participants of the one-day workshop on obstetric fistula, its causes, effects, and solutions to overcome the problem.
Obstetric fistula is a hole in the birth canal caused by obstructed labour. It is a hole between the birth canal and the bladder, caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without access to medical treatment.
There are three types of obstetric fistula which are rectovaginal fistula which is a hole between the birth canal and rectum, unrethrovaginal fistula which is the hole between the birth canal and urethra and ureterovaginal fistula which is the hole between the birth canal and ureters.
It is caused by early birth, lack of healthcare, poverty, and status of women. The disease particularly affects women in marginalized communities due to prolonged obstructed labour. It is estimated that 50-100k of women affected are in low-income countries where Zimbabwe and Asia are leading.
About 2-3;5 million women and girls suffer from untreated diseases globally. The condition is shrouded in a lot of mystery because communities are not aware of the condition. Most people believed that they could be bewitched.
The condition is treated through corrective surgery and the successful rate is 92 percent globally and 70 percent in Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe, the condition is treated at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital and Mashoko Provincial Hospital. About seven-hundred-plus women and girls have been repaired with support from UNFPA which leads a campaign to end fistula and transform the lives of vulnerable women and girls.
Women with this condition suffer from isolation from society, mental breakdown, and life-changing stigmatization of both self and society. It can be avoided by delaying the age of the first pregnancy.
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