Burden of Fistula in Nigeria

The joy of every woman is to get married, get pregnant and deliver safely to see his or her child as a reward for the marital life. To some, their dreams come true by getting their babies delivered safely while to some the reverse is the case as a result of associated challenges with pregnancy, delivery and attendant complications.

          The associated challenges with childbirth put the lives of women at risk of either delivering the baby safely with her child alive or losing both lives while some women battle with some conditions for years as a result of issues surrounding their childbirths.

          Among the medical conditions that put the lives of women at high risk which associated with childbirth is Fistula. The condition is the occurrence of abnormal hole between the bladder or rectum and the front passage resulting in continuous and uncontrollable leakage of urine or faeces or even both.

        

  Experts say women are mostly affected with Fistula as a result of prolonged and obstructed labour, pressure of the head of the baby on soft tissues which in turn causes death of the tissues between bladder and vagina which is called Vesico Vaginal Fistula (VVF) or between bowel and front passage which is called Recto Vaginal Fistula. Other causes of Fistula include operations for child delivery, harmful cultural practices while a few cases are caused by cancers of the female genital tract.

          Across the world, it is estimated that one to two million women are affected with fistula while in Nigeria, according to United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA), eight hundred thousand women suffered from VVF annually in Nigeria.

          The Country Representative of the fund in Nigeria, Ratidzai Ndhlovu who recently disclosed the alarming rate at the graduation of 100 rehabilitated women living with obstetric Fistula in Sokoto lamented that most of the affected women often lose their babies following child birth process.

          Represented by the Assistant Country Representative, Reproductive Health, Doctor Audu Alayande, Ndhlovu said one in every ten women suffered from this condition following childbirth noted that most women who developed fistula had probably given birth at home with no assistance from skilled birth attendant, pointing out that women down with the condition cope with the foul smell emanating from their leaking urine and faeces.

          It must be noted that the phenomenon had made many husbands to abandon their wives down with VVF while some being stigmatized and ostracised by families and communities. Thus, the alarming rate of VVF in Nigeria left no one in doubt that the all hands must be on desk in order to check the rising cases of the condition.

          Already, Kwara, Oyo, Bauchi, Cross River, Ebonyi, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Jigawa states are currently being jointly supported by the United State Agency International Development (USAID), Fistula Care Plus and Engender Health to provide special care and support for women with obsteric fistula in designated health facilities in the selected states of the federation.

          It would be recalled that thirty women affected by Fistula were in June, this year undergone free screening and treatment at the Sobi Specialist Hospital, Ilorin sponsored by the USAID funded Fistula Care Plus in collaboration with the Kwara State Government and implemented by Engender Health where all the clients who turned out for the exercise went through full repair with surgical operations to properly reintegrate them into the society.

       

    Dispelling the myths and misconceptions about Vesico Vaginal Fistula at Journalists Orientation on Fistula in Ilorin, the Country Project Manager, USAID Fistula Care Plus Project emphasised the need for parents to imbibe good nutritional habit for their children, particularly the female ones right from the infancy as a precursor to building long lasting immunity for women ahead of pregnancy and other childbirth complications. 

  

     It is therefore imperative for heads of households, government at all levels, religious and community leaders to at all times encourage pregnant women to make use health facilities for ante-natal and delivery and engage good nutritional habit in order to drastically reduce the chances of being down with VVF.

          Governments, Fistula Care Plus Project and other international agencies should step up assistance towards assisting the less privilege members of the society with free medical care particularly pregnant women to check the rising cases of Fistula in Nigeria while those down with the condition already should be helped to restore their hope and rekindle their joy.