DAKAR—A new set of priorities for the global fight against obstetric fistula will be in focus this week as specialists from around the world gather here to discuss ways to eliminate the preventable childbirth injury.

“There are more than 2 million women living with obstetric fistula in the world, yet there are not enough skilled surgeons to operate on them,” says Dr. Serigne Gueye, a leading fistula expert and one of the organizers of the Third Annual Conference of the International Society of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons (ISOFS) that will take place in Dakar from 7 to 9 December.

Obstetric fistula, a childbirth injury caused by obstructed labour without timely medical intervention, has terrible consequences. During prolonged obstructed labour, the baby almost inevitably dies and the woman is left with chronic incontinence. Unable to control the flow of urine or faeces, or both, she may be abandoned by her family and ostracized by her community. Without treatment, her prospects for work and family life are virtually non-existent.

In most cases, however, fistula is treatable: $300 is usually enough to cover for surgery, post-operative care and rehabilitation support. Nevertheless, although reconstructive surgery can generally repair the injury with success rates as high as 90 per cent for less complex cases, fistula treatment requires specialized and committed health professionals.

According to Dr. Gueye, who is also the president of the Pan-African Association of Urological Surgeons, the key to success is training. “The backlog of untreated fistula cases in the world is massive and there is a huge demand for training in fistula surgery and management. However, with the available resources we can barely address the tip of the iceberg and every year many more cases occur,” he explains, adding that surgical attempts by inexperienced surgeons can lead to further damage to women living with fistula.

Supplementing Dr. Gueye’s focus on training and surgery, Gillian Slinger, coordinator of the Campaign to End Fistula, calls for more prevention measures. “Each year, we have at least 100,000 new cases of fistula,” she says. “Most of these can be prevented by giving women access to family planning, skilled birth attendance and, not least, emergency obstetric care –such as a Caesarean section– when needed.”

Prior to the ISOFS conference, the Campaign to End Fistula’s International Obstetric Fistula Working Group (IOFWG) will hold its annual meeting in Dakar. The group works to ensure global collaboration and coordination of partner efforts for all issues relating to fistula, including prevention, treatment and social reintegration of fistula survivors.

The meetings in Senegal are held on a positive background. Never has the political focus on maternal health and fistula been higher, thanks in large part to the advocacy efforts made in recent years by the Campaign to End Fistula and its partners.

Considered a unique opportunity for health-care providers and experts from some of the world’s most affected nations to share key lessons from the work on the front lines of maternal health and obstetric fistula, the Dakar meetings will shed light on promising practices and priorities for the years to come.

“Every year, millions of women suffer needlessly from pregnancy and birth-related complications, injuries and death,” says Ms. Slinger. “Through working together, we can ensure that more health professionals, especially in developing countries, have the necessary skills to improve maternal health and make fistula something of the past.”

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What:

• Annual Meeting of the International Obstetric Fistula Working Group (IOFWG), 5-6 December

• Third Annual Conference of the International Society of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons (ISOFS), 7-9 December

Programme

Where:

Both meetings will be held at the Hotel Des Almadies (former Club Mediterranee), Dakar, Senegal

Contact details:

Etienne Franca
Media Specialist, Campaign to End Fistula
Tel:  + 221 77 479 0929
Email:  franca@unfpa.org

Hugues Kone
UNFPA Regional Communication Advisor
Tel:  + 221 77 569 7623
Email:  kone@unfpa.org

Raby Tall
Communication Consultant
Tel:  +221 77 645 4018
Email:  rtall@unfpa.org

Photos and b-roll material can be made available upon request.

About the Campaign to End Fistula
The global Campaign to End Fistula was initiated in 2003 by UNFPA and a wide range of partners with the goal of making obstetric fistula as rare in developing countries as it is in the industrialized world. Since then, the Campaign has brought fistula to the attention of the general public, policymakers, health officials and affected communities. More than $40 million has been mobilized from a variety of donors. The presence of the Campaign has grown tremendously since its inception, from 12 initial countries to 49 in 2010, most of which are now in the full implementation phase in Africa, Asia and the Arab region. Visit: www.endfistula.org

About UNFPA
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect. Visit: www.unfpa.org