A medical professional and Director of Household Well being on the Jigawa State Ministry of Well being, Dr. Abubakar Stated Kanya, has cautioned that delayed entry to emergency obstetric care is a significant reason behind recurring obstetric fistula amongst ladies.
Kanya made this identified throughout an interview with journalists to commemorate the Worldwide Day to Finish Obstetric Fistula, noticed on Friday.
He defined {that a} fistula is an irregular opening between two components of the physique, whereas an obstetric fistula particularly refers to a gap between the delivery canal and the bladder and/or rectum.
“A lady dwelling with fistula faces extreme bodily and psychological penalties.
“She is commonly unable to manage the leakage of urine or feces, suffers from continual infections and chronic ache.
“On account of restricted group understanding, such ladies are often stigmatized, resulting in isolation, melancholy, and anxiousness,” he stated.
Kanya disclosed that over 50% of girls affected by obstetric fistula are deserted by their husbands.
He additionally highlighted the psychological trauma, worry of infertility, stigmatization, and financial hardship as further burdens on affected ladies.
He famous that whereas most instances outcome from obstructed labour, different causes embrace cancer-related remedies, surgical accidents throughout cesarean sections or gynecological procedures, coital trauma, sexual violence, and infections resembling lymphogranuloma venereum.
Kanya emphasised that early warning indicators—resembling extended or obstructed labor—should be promptly addressed.
Threat components embrace cephalopelvic disproportion attributable to malnutrition, fetal malposition, massive fetal dimension, and dangerous conventional practices like feminine genital mutilation (FGM).
“The simplest technique to stop obstetric fistula is guaranteeing entry to protected and well timed emergency obstetric care,” he stated, including that household planning is essential in stopping recurrence after surgical restore.
He additional advocated for major prevention by adolescent and maternal diet, training, and ladies’s empowerment.
Kanya additionally disclosed that the Jigawa State Ministry of Well being, in collaboration with the Ministry of Ladies Affairs, has revitalized the Protected Motherhood Initiative to fight obstetric fistula.
He highlighted that since 2008, the state authorities, in partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières (Medical doctors With out Borders), has been providing interventions at Jahun Common Hospital.
These embrace emergency obstetric and new child care, vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) surgical procedures, and rehabilitation companies. The hospital performs a median of 300 VVF surgical procedures yearly