Over 15,000 women don’t know they have Obstetric Fistula
What you need to know:
CCBRT’s assessment, done over the past five years, shows that 12.35 per cent of them are youth under the age of 20. This was confirmed by the hospital’s Fistula Programme Manager Mr Clement Ndahani.
Dar es Salaam. More than 15,000 women who have signs and symptoms of obstetric fistula remain untreated because they lack information about the condition and cannot afford treatment, the Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) has confirmed.
CCBRT’s assessment, done over the past five years, shows that 12.35 per cent of them are youth under the age of 20. This was confirmed by the hospital’s Fistula Programme Manager Mr Clement Ndahani.
Speaking, on Tuesday on the commemoration day of fistula Mr Ndahani, said that since 2012 up to date only 6231 have reported for surgical repairs.
He said, most of the victims are not aware that fistula can be healed while some of them lack money for treatment, transport and hospital accommodation.
"Although treatment of obstetric fistula is offered free of charge, victims are not aware of it. This makes a large number of fistula victims not receive treatment on time," he says.
According to him, it is estimated that about 1246 women in the country undergo surgical repairs to correct fistula a year.
