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January 14, 2025
A change-agent in her community: Kelemi's story 

Kelemi’s baby was stillborn and she sustained an obstetric fistula. Her life chaged at Hamlin's Harar Fistula Hospital.

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November 18, 2024
The symbolism of the iconic Hamlin blanket

Likyelesh has called the hospital by the river her home for decades. Having suffered a devastating obstetric fistula injury when she was younger, she arrived at Hamlin’s Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital seeking treatment. But the love and support she found there completely changed the trajectory of her life. Born and raised in a rural village […]

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November 17, 2024
Your questions answered: how do we find women living with obstetric fistula?

In the third of our Clinical Conversations series, Tolera Adamu, Patient Identification Officer, explains how he finds women living with childbirth injuries in Ethiopia’s remote and rural communities. What is the most difficult part of your role? The challenging part is finding suspected obstetric fistula patients because there are many barriers: cultural and geographic. On […]

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November 4, 2024
Hanan is proud to be a Hamlin Midwife

Hanan is proud to call herself a Hamlin Midwife. She recently graduated from the Hamlin College of Midwives with a BSc degree in Midwifery and has returned to her home state of Benishangul-Gumuz in northwestern Ethiopia. She is looking forward to serving the women in her community. We caught up with Hanan after her graduation ceremony […]

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November 3, 2024
Your questions answered: what is the emotional toll of obstetric fistula?

In the 2nd of our Clinical Conversations series, Dr Melaku Abriha, Medical Director at Hamlin’s Mekele Fistula Hospital, explains the psychological impact of obstetric fistula. How does obstetric fistula impact women emotionally? Around 41% of our patients suffer psychologically because of their obstetric fistula injury. This ranges from minor anxiety, to post traumatic stress disorder, […]

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October 28, 2024
Your questions answered: what is obstetric fistula?

In the first of our Clinical Conversations series, Dr Yeshineh Demerew, Medical Director and Surgeon of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, answers the most common questions about obstetric fistula. What is obstetric fistula? A fistula is an abnormal communication between two or more organs in our body that don't normally connect, and usually takes the form of […]

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October 21, 2024
Bizuyie finds the courage to rebuild her life after obstetric fistula

Bizuyie is still unable to talk about the time she sustained a severe obstetric fistula injury 25 years’ ago. But we know her bladder was destroyed and the nerves in her legs were damaged, leaving her with difficulty walking and the need for a cane. Living in a remote village where no one knew what […]

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October 17, 2024
Overcoming Obstetric Fistula: Dinah’s Story

Dinah suffered for five years with an obstetric fistula injury and was isolated in her community. Then she arrived at Hamlin's Yirgalem Fistula Hospital.

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All rights reserved 2024 Catherine Hamlin Foundation (R) (ABN58159647499)
Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation is fiscally sponsored by Myriad USA (formerly King Baudouin Foundation United States - KBFUS) (EIN582277856) and Myriad Canada (RCO769784893RR0001)

Photography credits to Cameron Bloom, Nigel Brennan, Mary F. Calvert, Kate Geraghty, Amber Hooper, Joni Kabana, Johannes Remling and Martha Tadesse.

Patient names have been changed to protect the identities of those we help.