Treatment Obstetric fistula is a complex injury that requires special treatment and care. The physical and psychological consequences are both debilitating and heartbreaking. Yet, most fistula injuries can be repaired with a simple 60-minute operation which completely restores a woman’s life and dignity. From July 2019-June 2020 (FY20), the team at Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia continued […]

Thank you for your continued compassion As 2020 draws to a close, we reflect on an extraordinary year which saw the very sad passing of Dr Catherine Hamlin and the terrible impact of a global pandemic. We thank you for your continued compassion, love and trust in us. Mother Teresa once said: "Not all of […]

Ruth Kennedy is a Scottish midwife who grew up in Brazil. Ruth first met Dr Catherine Hamlin in 1991. Below is the second in a series of blogs about her experience working with Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia. Our friendship developed from that first introduction. The delightful old-world afternoon tea that Catherine offered to those she favored, […]

Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia has a long history of training surgeons from around the world in best-practice fistula surgery techniques. Since the inception of Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia, surgeons visited Dr Catherine Hamlin to learn, and Hamlin surgeons traveled abroad to other medical facilities to provide training. Since 2014, Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia has provided this training in […]

The power of ONE to transform maternal health care. When a woman has access to a trusted companion, her childbirth experience and maternal health outcomes improve. A recent article from the World Health Organization (WHO) strongly reiterated the need for women to have a chosen companion during labor and childbirth, even in the midst of […]

The United Nations’ Report on Obstetric Fistula 2020 calls for a surge in efforts to eradicate obstetric fistula. The report outlines the gender and socioeconomic inequalities which result in fistula, as well as the measures necessary for the eradication of fistula by 2030. Highlighting the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has created for women in developing countries seeking […]

Dr Melaku Abriha is the Medical Director & Fistula Surgeon at Hamlin’s Mekele Fistula Hospital.

Beletshachew Tadesse first met Dr Catherine Hamlin in 2009 when she was working for WaterAid. Soon after Beletshachew came work with Catherine at Hamlin’s Desta Mender as Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s first Rehabilitation and Reintegration Manager, she served in this role from 2011 to 2019. “These women deserve to thrive” I joined Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia in […]