• Garissa residents told to discard FGM and early marriages as they are the main causes of fistula.
• Fardowsa appealed to stakeholders to focus on preventive measures by educating the local community on fistula.
Garissa Governor Ali Korane's wife Fardowsa Osman has urged residents to end FGM and early marriages which are the main causes of fistula.
Fardowsa, who was visiting fistula patients at Garissa Referral Hospital on Saturday, said the retrogressive cultural practices are inflicting pain and trauma on young mothers.
Some 23 patients are admitted to the hospital for surgery following a five-day free fistula camp at the hospital. The medical camp is sponsored by Fountain of Hope - her initiative in collaboration with the county's department of health, Amref Africa and Global One.
She was accompanied by Amref project coordinator Galgalo Golicha, Global One project officer Kaltuma Abdiraman.
Fardowsa appealed to stakeholders to focus on preventive measures by educating the local community on fistula to reduce the cases because it is expensive to treat the condition.
"I want to make a passionate appeal to our communities and society at large to embrace patients with fistula and not to shun and despise them. It is a disease like any other that can be treated,” she said.
The affected mothers feel despised and neglected due to the waste discharge forcing them to go under a "self-imposed house arrest".