First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.Photo/PSCUFirst Lady Margaret Kenyatta wants all mothers hiding under the shame of fistula to be assisted in seeking medical help so that they can continue with their normal lives.
She said mothers suffering from Obstetric Fistula are usually hidden away to suffer negative emotional and psychological effects due to humiliation from their smell and inability to perform their family roles.
“I urge that we seek out more of our mothers who are hidden away while suffering from this condition and encourage them to seek help”, said the First Lady today when she opened an International Conference on Reproductive Health at Kenyatta University, Nairobi.
The three-day conference, under the theme of “Ending Obstetric Fistula in a Generation” is part of the commemorations to mark the World Fistula Day, observed today.
Other related activities include an ongoing Fistula screening and medical intervention of the condition at Gatundu Level 5 hospital.
Obstetric Fistula is a devastating and demeaning condition caused by prolonged obstructed labour , leaving a woman with insufficient voluntary control over urination. It also causes suffering, indignity and disability. The condition is preventable and treatable.
Strong smells occasioned by this condition forces many affected women to remain in hiding away from any public interactions including being shunned by insensitive family members. Separation and divorce are some of the other consequences of the condition.
Globally, an estimated 2 million mothers suffer the stigma of Obstetric Fistula while giving birth. In Kenya 3,000 new cases of the condition are reported annually although there are fears many more mothers could be suffering in silence and seclusion due to shame and public humiliation.
“This situation is unacceptable and should not be allowed to persist”, said the First Lady
She said childbirth anywhere in the world is a time for celebration, yet in many cases in Africa (including Kenya), childbirth ends with serious and tragic life-threatening complications that bring untold suffering to women.