Sunday Ehigiator
In commemoration of the ‘International Day to End Obstetric Fistula’, Bashir Fistula Foundation, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to increasing awareness of Obstetric Fistula and improving the quality of life of Obstetric Fistula patients, has raised awareness on the need to end obstetric fistula by the year 2030.
This awareness was created over the weekend during an awareness walk from the Alausa Secretariat bus stop to the under-bridge in Ikeja Lagos State, organised by the foundation.
Speaking with THISDAY, the Founder and Executive Director, of Bashir Fistula Foundation, Barakat Adewale, said, “Obstetric Fistula is a childbirth complication that occurs when there is a prolonged pressure from a baby’s head on a woman’s pelvic bone which in turn inflicts damages by causing a hole between the vagina and the bladder (vesicovaginal fistula) or the rectum and the vagina (rectovaginal fistula).
“Obstetric Fistula happens as a result of many factors, including, prolonged or obstructed labour, harmful traditional practices, untimely access to good healthcare expertise and facilities, young maternal age, and female genital mutilation, among others.
“Today, we are having the Fistula Awareness Walk. It is an event organised to commemorate the international day to end obstetric fistula in the world, especially in sub-Saharan Africa and Nigeria.
“Nigeria is very far from achieving an end to fistula by 2030. This is because a lot of people do not know of its existence. Most of those who know do not know that it is preventable. Some of them do not even know that it is treatable.
“We have women that have been suffering from fistula for over five or 10 years and are not even aware that it can be cured. So we are very far away from ending fistula.
“Today’s walk is also about improving the maternal healthcare in Nigeria’s healthcare system so that every woman can get the right care they need at the time of childbirth, and that would avoid any kind of birth complications that may lead to fistula.
“In all of these, the government has a major role to play, and so do we all. The government needs to improve the maternal healthcare system of the country.
“If every woman irrespective of their age gets the right care they need, obstetric fistula will become a past tense in the country.
“We are hoping that government, community leaders at the grassroots level, and the private sector can all come together to discourage any cultural or religious lifestyle that puts a child in pregnancy and have them go through the plight of obstetric fistula.
“Majorly, we are calling in all healthcare workers that work in a situation that they have to relate with women to do their best to ensure that we do not have women suffering from an obstetric fistula or any kind of complications as a result of childbirth.”
