What is Fistula?

What is Obstetric Fistula?

Obstetric fistula is a devastating pregnancy-related disability that primarily affects young women from poor backgrounds. Fistula is usually the result of obstructed labour which means the baby does not exit the pelvis during childbirth due to being physically blocked. However, fistula is a preventable and mostly treatable condition.

Obstructed labour combined with a lack of skilled medical care and unaffordable caesarean sections, obstetric fistula most often leads to permanent incontinence – a continuous leakage of urine and loss of control over bowel movements.

How does it happen?

A vaginal fistula, which usually affects pregnant women, results from prolonged labour, usually lasting two to five days, with delivery happening only after the baby dies.

During labour, the baby’s head and the woman’s pubic bone form a vice, cutting off blood flow to the tissue trapped in this area. Following delivery, the dead tissue sloughs away, leaving an abnormal opening between the birth canal and the bladder (less frequently the rectum).

Unable to control the flow of urine (and/or faeces), the woman is perpetually wet and soiled. Affected women are often abandoned by their husbands and ostracised by their families and communities.

How does Mercy Ships help?

Onboard our ship, the Africa Mercy, Mercy Ships performs free fistula repair operations for affected women. The healed patients are given new dresses and headdresses as symbols of their restored life.
Mercy Ships aims to reduce the effects of fistula in women in Africa by providing specialised medical treatment and training.
In addition to performing free fistula repair operations for affected women, Mercy Ships provides training and prevention to help build the capacity of healthcare systems in developing nations to address the condition of fistula. Mercy Ships networks with and provides training for local and international healthcare professionals including surgeons, nurses and traditional birth attendants.

Fistula statistics

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that every year between 50,000 and 100,000 women sustain an obstetric fistula during childbirth.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than two million women are currently living with obstetric fistulas, a large number of which are in Africa.
Obstetric fistula is both preventable and treatable, a condition that no woman should have to endure. Poverty is the number one indirect cause of obstetric fistula around the world.
Obstructed labour and obstetric fistula account for 8% of maternal deaths worldwide. Through fistula programmes that bring hope and healing, Mercy Ships aims to reduce the effects of fistula in women in Africa by providing specialized medical treatment and training.
Mercy Ships uses its hospital ship and also partners with land-based programmes to deliver transformational healthcare to the forgotten poor.

What is the Mercy Ships Dress Ceremony?

The Dress Ceremony restores dignity beyond surgery. Women afflicted by obstetric fistula are often outcasts from their own homes, their relationships lost, their clothes soiled. We send them back with a celebration and a new dress, symbolizing their newfound wholeness and a brighter outlook to the future.

Other Blog Posts

Diacko: The Courage to Trust

As we approach the close of this year, let us take a moment to reflect on the challenges and trials faced by so many, especially those who have experienced profound loss. This season, while we gather with loved ones to celebrate, let’s also remember those who are still suffering, those who have lost their way, and those who have lost their faith in a better tomorrow.
During this holiday season, we invite you to join us in this mission of compassion, faith, and renewal.
Your generosity can make a real and lasting impact.

Teneng and Ibrahima: Gifts from God

This Christmas season, let’s come together as a community of faith and support to bring restoration to people who have lost so much. Mercy Ships Canada is on a mission to heal and transform the lives of Children and adults in need. Your gift, rooted in faith, can make a significant difference in the lives of countless people. Your support will bring back smiles, health, and faith to children and adults who have suffered for far too long. Donate today and make this Christmas truly meaningful.

Kadidja: A Future as Bright as her Smile

At Mercy Ships Canada, we serve those who have lost hope, bringing healing and transformation. Our volunteers, inspired by their faith, work selflessly to perform surgeries that renew not only bodies but also faith and hope. This Christmas, be a part of the miracle by making a donation to Mercy Ships Canada. Your contribution will help renew faith and offer a second chance at life. Together, we can make a significant impact on those who have suffered for too long.

Aissatou Finds Healing

As we approach the holiday season, we are reminded of the immense power of faith and the importance of giving back to those in need. This Christmas, you have the opportunity to be a beacon of hope, healing and transformation for those who need it most.
Your support this Christmas will not only change lives but also reaffirm the spirit of giving and faith. Join us in spreading love, hope, and healing.
Make a donation today, and together, we can transform the lives of people who have lost so much.

Grateful Hearts-Thank you message from Darryl Anderson

Our journey continues, and we’re excited to have you by our side as we embark on new adventures of compassion and change.

Face-to-Face after Decades: Catherine and Aly Reunite on the Global Mercy

The last time Catherine Conteh saw the deeply familiar smile in front of her in Freetown, it was under dramatically different circumstances. Learn more about Aly’s act of kindness!