International Day to End Obstetric Fistula is marked annually on 23 May. It is a day to draw attention to the horrific childbirth injury, obstetric fistula, which is caused during an obstructed labor. This preventable injury continues to have devastating consequences for tens of thousands of women in Ethiopia
The theme for 2025 is âBreaking the Cycle: Preventing Fistula Worldwideâ, emphasizing the need to prevent fistula from occurring in the first place by addressing systemic inequalities, improving access to timely and quality healthcare and ensuring that all women have access to safe and dignified childbirth.
The goal of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia and Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation is ZERO obstetric fistula in Ethiopia.
ZERO Shame
ZERO Suffering
ZERO Fistula
ZERO obstetric fistula in Ethiopia means women are:
- Free of incontinence caused by fistula injuries and the stigma and isolation it brings
- Confident of delivering their babies safely
- Not suffering agonizing, obstructed labour, often for many days
- Able to access quality maternal health care, regardless of where they live.
Tesfaneshâs heartbreak
Living in remote Ethiopia, without access to professional medical care, Tesfanesh and her baby didnât have the help they needed during childbirth. After two days of agonizing labour, Tesfaneshâs baby was tragically stillborn and she developed an obstetric fistula which left her incontinent. She withdrew from her community, too afraid to go to church or the markets. Instead, she stayed hidden away, washing urine from her clothes three times a day.
Tesfanesh suffered the impact of fistula for six long years.
âImmediately after the stillbirth, I began to experience uncontrollable urine flow. I hoped it would stop, but it didnât. I am still suffering.â - Tesfanesh
Facts about Obstetric Fistula
Fact 1: Half of all women in Ethiopia give birth at home without medical care.
A home birth, without the assistance of a healthcare professional, increases a womanâs chances of developing an obstetric fistula. Tragically, 90% of women who sustain an obstetric fistula give birth to a stillborn baby. It leaves her incontinent and isolated from her community.
Fact 2: An estimated 31,000 women in Ethiopia are living with a fistula injury.
Our Project Zero initiative is focused on finding the estimated 30,000 women in Ethiopia who remain physically and emotionally isolated by obstetric fistula injuries. Using a woreda (district) by woreda approach, Hamlinâs Patient Identification Officers go door-to-door in search of women who are unaware they could be cured by a simple two-hour operation.
Fact 3: Obstetric fistula is not just a maternal health issue, but a human rights issue.
Treating obstetric fistula through a holistic, whole-patient approach, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia not only treats the injury but also address other inequities that women experience, including isolation, poverty and illiteracy. Hamlinâs Rehabilitation and Reintegration Program at Desta Mender offers counseling, literacy and numeracy classes, as well as vocational and life skills training. By empowering women, they in turn can empower their communities and live with dignity, agency and good health.
Fact 4: Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia has performed life-changing surgery to over 70,000 women.
Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, which operates a healthcare network of six hospitals, has performed life-changing surgery on more than 70,000 women. Surgery is also available for a range of other gynecological conditions, including advanced-stage pelvic organ prolapse. All patients are treated free of charge at Hamlin hospitals.
Fact 5: Midwives are essential to eradicating fistula in Ethiopia. Forever.
Midwives working in Ethiopiaâs rural areas play a vital role in reducing birth injuries. By identifying pregnancy complications, they can prevent obstetric fistula from occurring in the first place. In 2007, Catherine established the Hamlin College of Midwives to increase access to quality healthcare. With a curriculum that meets the standards of the International Confederation of Midwives, graduates return to their local areas to work in Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics.
A cure for Tesfanesh
Tesfanesh was finally found by a Hamlin Patient Identification Officer. She was transported to Hamlinâs Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital where she received free, life-changing surgery and holistic care. She went from hiding to healing; her body â and life â healed and restored.
âThe care I got was beyond imagination. Now I am dry. After my cure, I hope I will forget all the suffering and crying I endured because of the fistula. I will go home and start my life again.â â Tesfanesh
Chasing ZERO starts with YOU
Donate: Your financial support is powerful. Give a one-off or monthly donation to heal and empower women and help build a fistula-free future.
Fundraise: Get your friends and family together and help make a difference to women in Ethiopia. You can get active, get crafty or get social for a good cause.
Spread the word: Share this story on social media and encourage others to learn more. Keep up to date with the latest news in the fight to eradicate fistula by following Hamlin on social media or signing up for our newsletter.
