23rd May 2023 was International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. To mark this day, UNFPA The Gambia ran an awareness-raising campaign to let women who may be experiencing Obstetric Fistula know that free repair surgery is available.
In partnership with Her Excellency the First Lady of The Gambia Madam Fatoumatta Bah-Barrow, the Minister of Health the Honourable Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, and the Director of Health Services, Dr. Mustapha Bittaye, UNFPA The Gambia engaged with media partners and QCell to spread this message.
Obstetric Fistula is a childbirth injury caused by prolonged, obstructed labour without timely intervention, typically, a Cesarean section. The result is a constant leaking of urine and/or faeces through the vagina. This makes it a sensitive condition that relegates women to social exclusion and isolation, adverse discrimination, and low self-esteem. Globally, about two million women remain untreated in developing countries and between 50,000 and 100,000 new cases occur each year, the majority of whom live in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Nationally, the burden of Obstetric Fistula is estimated at between 335 to 1052 cases using maternal and perinatal death mortality rates as well as fistula treatment data. These numbers, though seemingly low, do not portray the true picture as a lot more women are silently living with the condition.
UNFPA The Gambia works with the Ministry of Health and other partners to provide free fistula repair surgery and rehabilitation, while strengthening the Ministry of Health’s capacity to integrate quality Fistula Case Management in the healthcare delivery system. Since 2018, over 60 women have received free fistula repair surgery as part of this programme.
But, as UNFPA Country Representative Ms. Ndeye Rose Sarr said: “We know that there are more women in The Gambia with obstetric fistula who are not aware that help is available.” The purpose of this campaign was to reach those women to let them know that it’s possible for them to access free repair surgery, and that Obstetric Fistula is a condition which is preventable and curable. In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, a helpline number was identified as a pathway for callers to receive more information about how to get help.
UNFPA The Gambia, alongside the Ministry of Health and Fistula Surgeon Dr Abubacarr Jah, spoke with several national media outlets throughout the week, including QTV News, GRTS, and West Coast Radio. UNFPA Country Representative Ms. Sarr was also interviewed on BBC Focus on Africa to explain how UNFPA is working with the government of The Gambia to eliminate Obstetric Fistula in the country.
Following a signing of an MOU between UNFPA The Gambia and QGroup Foundation, QCell sent an SMS to their subscribers to educate users on Obstetric Fistula and availability of free repair surgery.
As a result of this outreach campaign, the helpline received over 150 calls from people seeking more information about Obstetric Fistula and enquiring about treatment options.
UNFPA The Gambia is the leading partner in the National Taskforce for the Eradication of Obstetric Fistula and is working with stakeholders to develop a national strategy in The Gambia. Additionally, UNFPA The Gambia is part of the initiators of the Global Coalition on the eradication of Obstetric Fistula. Led by Belgium, this coalition is aimed at bringing together diverse stakeholders, foster collaboration, and coordinate efforts to prevent new cases of obstetric fistula, provide comprehensive treatment and care to affected women, and ultimately eliminate this devastating condition worldwide. This is in line with the Government of The Gambia’s commitment to end Obstetric Fistula by 2030.
Media contact:
Anna Ceesay - Communication Consultant, UNFPA The Gambia ceesay@unfpa.org
