The Flying Doctors’ Society of Africa (FDSA) will be providing free Vesico-Vaginal Fistula (VVF) at the Kenyatta National Hospital this July.
During the month, 100 surgeries will be performed at the referral hospital in a collaboration between the flying doctors and the Freedom From Fistula Foundation.
FDSA plans to operate on 200 cases this year. The beneficiaries will have the surgery performed free of charge.
Obstetric fistula is a devastating condition affecting poor women and girls. The commonest form is an abnormal communication between the urinary bladder and vagina, which leads to uncontrolled continuous leakage of urine through the vagina (VVF).
Other types of abnormal communication are between urethra and vagina (UVF or Urethra-Vaginal Fistula) and rectum and vagina (RVF or Recto-Vaginal Fistula).
Fistula occurs as a complication of obstructed labour causing tissue necrosis of vagina and bladder, urethral and vaginal wall, or rectum and vaginal wall. In such cases where fistula occurs, the baby usually dies during childbirth.
A United Nations Population Fund report estimates that new obstetric fistulas occur in at least 50,000 – 100,000 women and girls each year in Africa alone.
The report continued: “Maternal mortality and morbidity has remained very high in the region mainly due to poor access to quality reproductive health services. Poverty and low level of education, lack of equity, poor road network, communication infrastructure and grossly inadequate health services are also major contributors.”
In a communique, the camp at KNH will start with an awareness campaign walk from the hospital on Friday.