Media Centre

Media Advisories

Ethiopian health expert to discuss invisible tragedy of fistula

Pregnancy complication often leaves women debilitated, childless, and “leaking” urine and feces from vagina

Halifax – June 16, 2009 - Dr.Mulu Muleta, an Ethiopian surgeon, is in Halifax to present a keynote speech on obstetric fistula – a condition that is virtually unknown here in Canada, but is silently destroying the lives of nearly 2 million women worldwide. Dr. Muleta will be presenting at the 2009 International Women’s Health Symposium, hosted Wednesday, June 17, 2009, at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax.

Obstetric fistula is a complication of pregnancy which causes a hole to develop in a woman’s vagina, creating a passageway between her vagina and her rectum or bladder. The condition is a result of prolonged labour, and leaves a woman continuously leaking urine, feces, or both from her vagina. It is most common within the developing world, in areas that lack access to emergency obstetric care or caesarean section. In these places, an obstructed labour can last for days, putting the mother’s life in jeopardy, and often leading to fistula and stillbirth.

“Fistula really is a tragedy on many levels,” said Dr. Muleta, who has spent the past 18 years treating women with fistula in Ethiopia. “In addition to their physical injuries, these women often develop serious social problems, including divorce, exclusion from religious activities, separation from their families, worsening poverty, malnutrition and almost unendurable suffering.”

In Ethiopia, where Dr. Muleta practices, a woman will develop a fistula in about two out of every 1,000 births, and an estimated 26,000 Ethiopian women are currently living with the disability. The problem is largely due to a lack of access to trained health professionals during birth - in the country, 94% of births are not attended by a health professional.

Despite efforts of women with an untreated fistula to remain clean, the smell of leaking urine and feces is overpowering, and leaves many women ostracized from their community, their work, and even from their families. The result is a negative spiral that can lead to even further poverty and stigmatization for these women.

Canadians working to end fistula

“Canadians have been leaders in the international efforts to make pregnancy and childbirth safer, but much more work is needed to help make fistula a thing of the past,” said Dr. Scott Farrell, a Halifax obstetrician/gynaecologist, President of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, and a volunteer with the International Women’s Health Program. “We have the knowledge and expertise to prevent fistula, and to make pregnancy safe for women everywhere. What we need is a greater commitment from governments, international organizations, and health professionals to ensure that this expertise can be put to use in parts of the world where it is gravely needed.”

The International Women’s Health Symposium is hosted by the International Women’s Health Program. Dr. Farrell is one of many Canadian health professionals who volunteer their time to work abroad under the not-for-profit program, which provides emergency obstetrical training to health professionals in less-developed countries. The program focuses on preventing the most common causes of death or injury during pregnancy and childbirth.

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Media are invited to attend the International Women’s Health Symposium, hosted at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax on Wednesday, June 17, 2009, from 08:00-17:00 (ADT). Dr. Muleta’s keynote presentation will begin at 10:15 a.m. (ADT)

 

For More Information

A backgrounder containing additional information on obstetric fistula is available online at: http://www.sogc.org/media/advisories-20090616b_e.asp

 

Media Contacts

Dr. Muleta, Dr. Farrell, and other keynote speakers are available for comment by contacting

Mike Haymes,
Media Relations Officer, SOGC
Tel: (902) 440-3263

Natalie Wright
Director of Communications and Public Education, SOGC
Tel: (613) 240-0169

About the International Women’s Health Symposium

The International Women’s Health Symposium features keynote speakers from around the world examining why, despite decades of international commitment, a half million women still die during pregnancy and childbirth each year. The symposium features Canadian and international keynote speakers - including health experts, anthropologists, sociologists, economists and lawyers – who will be looking at Canada and the world’s role in preventing this tragedy. The event is hosted by the International Women’s Health Program, an initiative of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. http://iwhp.sogc.org.

A complete program for the event is available online at: iwhp.sogc.org/uploads/File/ageAcm2009IwhpWebEn.pdf

 

Last Updated June 12, 2009