‘Thousands of Ghanaian women suffering from Obstetric Fistula’

 Thousands of Ghanaian women continue to suffer in silence from Obstetric Fistula (OF) due to inadequate access to sur­gical treatment, the United Na­tions Population Fund (UNFPA) has revealed.

Dr Wilfred Ochan, UNFPA’s Country Representative, disclosed that over the past decade, Ghana has accumulated a backlog of more than 12,000 untreated cases, de­spite recording an estimated 1,300 new cases each year.

He made the remarks during a visit to the New Times Corporation (NTC) in Accra to mark the Interna­tional Day to End Obstetric Fistula (IDEOF).

“Only 1,000 repairs have been done in 10 years. That leaves thou­sands of women isolated, in pain, and excluded from society due to a condition that is both preventable and treatable,” Dr Ochan said.

He stressed the need for great­er investment in surgical capacity, public awareness, and partnership, especially with the private sector— to accelerate Ghana’s efforts to eliminate the condition by 2030.

Obstetric Fistula results from prolonged or obstructed labour without timely medical care, caus­ing a hole between the birth canal and bladder or rectum, leading to continuous leakage of urine or faeces. The consequences include stigma, chronic incontinence, and often, the death of the baby.

To help close the treatment gap, the UNFPA is working with health institutions including the Komfo Anokye and Cape Coast Teaching hospitals to scale up sur­geries and outreach.

“We must not allow women to suffer lifelong trauma for sim­ply trying to give life,” Dr Ochan urged.

The Managing Director, Mr Martin Adu-Owusu, pledged NTC’s support in raising public awareness and promoting maternal health initiatives.

“We are ready to collaborate with you to ensure that maternal deaths and issues affecting women come down to the barest minimum so that together we can achieve the UN goal to eliminating Obstet­ric Fistula by 2030,” he said

 By Esinam Jemima Esinam