Semenesh grew up in a small, rural village in Southern Ethiopia. Her village was so isolated that it would take seven hours to walk to the nearest school, clinic or bus stop. This isolation would drastically reduce the opportunities available to Semenesh. It would also contribute to Semenesh suffering a devastating injury called obstetric fistula. […]

The Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital has become known as a global center of excellence in fistula surgery. By 2014, word of Dr Catherine Hamlin’s work and the need to eradicate obstetric fistula had spread – in particular, the Hamlins' work in training Ethiopians to become best-practice surgeons. Recognizing the excellent care and surgical practice maintained […]

When I die, this place will go on for many, many years until we have eradicated fistula altogether – until every woman in Ethiopia is assured of a safe delivery and a live baby. Dr Catherine Hamlin Building a Fistula-Free Future. If we ever need proof of the good in humanity, we only need to […]

Advocating for the Advancement of Women's Rights. On 10th December 2019 over 100 stakeholders, advocates and dignitaries attended an advocacy event organized by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Ethiopian Ministry of Women, Children and Youth Affairs, and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. With the aim of influencing public policy and the means of […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated 2020 as the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Through this designation, the WHO is recognizing the work of the world’s 22 million nurses and two million midwives, including the life-saving work of midwives in Ethiopia. Prevention – through the work of Hamlin Midwives – is […]

Depression and Fistula. The heartbreaking reality of an obstetric fistula injury for women in sub-Saharan Africa is that its consequences go far beyond the physical damage caused by the traumatic childbirth. For women suffering from fistula, the constant leakage of urine and/or feces leads to inescapable stigmatization within their communities that often results in social […]

Hamlin & PMNCH Partnership  The Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation recognizes that the enormous task of eradicating obstetric fistula forever cannot be achieved in isolation. With the support of allied organizations, we are better placed to achieve this vitally important aim.  Consequently, Catherine Hamlin Fistula Foundation is a proud member of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn […]

The importance of ultrasound  Portable ultrasound machines can literally save the lives of mothers and babies. It is something that we often take for granted in industrialized countries, but in Ethiopia this is a service that has hitherto been unavailable particularly in rural health centers.  Imagine trying to look after a patient but not knowing […]