Stop stigma, retrogressive cultural practices to address fistula - MP Siyad

Social Stigma associated with Fistula and retrogressive cultural practices like Early marriages and FGM have been cited as among the reasons contributing to the disease.

Obstetric fistula is a devastating condition often resulting from obstructed labour.

This came out during the fistula screening camp that has been going on at Garissa County referral hospital.

Other contributing factors are poverty, malnutrition, inadequate health systems, detrimental traditional practices, lack of skilled attendants, limited access to emergency Caesareans, unequal gender relations, and the contributing factors of an often poor economic situation.

Garissa woman representative Udgoon Siyad said that it was regrettable that in this day and age of improved medical care, many women and girls with fistula still endure lives of shame, misery, violence, and poverty.

She was speaking on Wednesday at the  Garissa County Referral Hospital where she had gone to check on the progress of the ongoing Free Fistula Camp that her office and other partners have been supporting.

The camp has been operational from September  16th to Friday 29th.

 “There is an undeniable link between fistula and social stigmatization. Rather than receiving assistance from their families and communities, women are often ostracized and in many instances exiled from their communities,’ she said.

She said although fistula has gotten some support, there was a need to scale up the prevention initiatives calling on all leaders and relevant stakeholders to work together in ensuring that that happens.

The Woman rep said that early marriage and FGM also largely contributed to fistula noting that the majority of the patients are young ladies who get into marriage.

She called on the community to stop the retrogressive cultural practices that she noted were doing girls and women in the community more harm than good.

“You find that their reproductive system is not well developed. You are aware in our community there are cases of young girls being married off at the age of as low as 14 years. FGM is another challenge and we always face a very rough time when conducting deliveries,” she said.

She said that many times pregnant women who have undergone FGM and want to give birth end up getting difficult deliveries which leads to obstructed labor which leads to fistula.

The women representative who herself runs the ‘Udgoon foundation’ which has been at the forefront of championing girls and women issues said that preventing fistula and restoring women’s health and dignity requires more than good policies on paper.

“I am happy that in the last 5 days of the camp, over 200 women suffering from either Fistula or other gynaecological issues have been screened with over 40 women admitted and are currently receiving treatment. This is a good gesture. It shows that our young daughters and mothers are coming out for screening and stigma is fast fading away,” she said.

Nathifa Omar who was leading the team of specialists disclosed that since the exercise started, a total of 271 mothers have so far been screened. Thirty have already been operated with the remaining already admitted to the wards.