Prevention
The epidemic of obstetric fistula must be controlled! We see this as a moral and ethical imperative! But effective prevention programs have been an elusive goal for decades. Obstetric fistula is unique among the world’s great public health issues in that both the prevention and treatment of fistula involve surgery.
Preventing obstetric fistulas means preventing obstructed labor. The solution to this problem lies in providing prompt access to emergency obstetric care once labor becomes obstructed. WFF is planning a fistula prevention project in the Danja region that will involve a network of village-based workers who will identify pregnant women and create personal emergency action plans that will be activated should their labors become prolonged. Similar plans have been used successfully in other parts of Africa and the concept should be transferrable to other fistula-endemic areas.
Help us to run a pilot project to establish the effectiveness of this approach in preventing fistula. The cost for one year, about $120,000.
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