KISII, Kenya – Fistula is a condition that shatters women’s lives, affecting two women in 55 low-resource countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Moreover, 100,000 additional women tragically develop a fistula every year in some of the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged communities.
The condition results, in nearly all cases, in the death of the baby and leaves the woman suffering from a range of health problems. Many will face social segregation, leading to loss of livelihood, isolation, and feelings of shame and despair.
As Kenya recently joined the world in marking this year’s International Day to End Obstetric Fistula (IDEOF), Y News established that there is a dire need to train more fistula surgeons in the country.
The day aims to raise awareness and advocate for prevention and treatment. Under this year’s theme, “Her Health, Her Right: Shaping the Future Without Fistula,” the world was reminded of the dignity every woman deserves, especially in her journey through pregnancy and motherhood.
What is the current state of fistula conditions in Kenya in numbers
Dr. John Omboga, obstetrician, gynaecologist, fistula surgeon, and fertility specialist, told Y News that, as a country, Kenya lacks enough qualified fistula surgeons.
“Here, we are talking about 10 spreads across the country against a population of about 56 million people, of which 30 million are women. And out of these 30 million women, statistics show that we are having at least 3,000 new fistula cases in the country every day,” he said.
Speaking exclusively to Y News during the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula at Gusii Stadium in Kisii County, Dr. Omboga disclosed that 10 surgeons are not enough to treat these new cases and even the existing fistula cases.
“So, we need many surgeons to train to become fistula surgeons so that we can be able to reduce the cases that are there,” he added.
How the Fistula Foundation is helping end the vice in Kenya
Nelson Musa, Programmes Director for Fistula Foundation Kenya, told Y News that their program in Kenya has conducted over 16,000 procedures since its start in 2014.
“We have trained about 11 fistula surgeons, and we continue to train more. As we speak now, we have one fistula surgeon who is being trained, and we also have nurses who are in training. The intention again is to ensure that, purposely, we continue to increase the capacity of the healthcare providers to provide treatment and provide the necessary care,” Musa explained.
In implementation, Musa noted that the Fistula Foundation has faced various challenges and experiences, and the main one has always been the need to train doctors.
“We have various levels of training. We have the basic, advanced, and expert, which we think are necessary. For us to continue to provide quality care for fistula patients, doctors must continue to be trained and mentored just to improve the level of access to treatment,” said Musa.
Why treatment is not the end of the journey for fistula survivors
Susan Mwabilo, a nurse working at the Vihiga County Referral Hospital and also a nurse trained on fistula treatment, reiterated the need to have more nurses and more fistula surgeons trained.
“Even the number we have now cannot match the population we have in the country. We need more fistula specialists to be able to reach more mothers and to be able to offer this treatment as a routine,” she explained.
Meanwhile, Musa observed that treatment is the beginning of healing for a fistula patient.
“But remember, we also have other challenges. Maybe the question would be, after treatment, what happens? If we are talking about restoring dignity, what are other parameters that maybe treatment might not take care of?” he added.
