One of the most severe conditions that a mother can suffer is having an obstetric fistula. Obstetric fistula is a condition in which is a hole forms either between the rectum and the vagina or between the bladder and the vagina, causing the feces or urine to pass through uncontrollably. This is often the result of prolonged obstructed labor (and lack of access to cesarean sections) or sexual violence.
In addition to being incontinent, women who suffer from obstetric fistulas are usually exiled from the communities, forced to live alone and stigmatized by society. According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), over two million women have obstetric fistulas with more than 100,000 new cases each year.
In February, Saving Mothers is proud to be one of the organizations that provides obstetric fistula repair surgeries to women in Liberia. The surgical team operated for five days and helped changed the lives of 15 women who had suffered from their condition for years. These women will not longer be shunned by their families and can regain their place in their community.
Saving Mothers plans to send more surgical teams to Liberia for obstetric fistula repair and other obstetric and gynecological surgeries.
