The Director of Family Health at the Jigawa State Ministry of Health, Dr. Abubakar Kanya, has emphasized the vital role of family planning in preventing the recurrence of obstetric fistula following surgical repair.
Dr. Kanya made the statement while speaking to journalists in commemoration of the International Day to End Obstetric Fistula.
He explained that allowing women to recover from the trauma, both physical and psychological of fistula without the pressure of an early pregnancy is crucial to their complete healing.
According to him, fistula refers to an abnormal opening between two parts of the body, with obstetric fistula specifically involving a hole between the birth canal and the bladder and/or rectum, often caused by prolonged or obstructed labor.
He reiterated the need for awareness, early medical intervention, and access to family planning services to reduce fistula cases and improve maternal health in the state.
“A woman with a fistula faces devastating physical and psychological consequences and is unable to control the leaking of urine and or faeces, she suffers chronic infections and pain.
“With little community understanding of her injury and its causes, a woman is frequently blamed for her condition and lives in isolation leading to depression, anxiety and social isolation,”
Dr Kanya pointed out that, over 50% of women with obstetric fistula have been abandoned by their husbands, depression and grief related to fear of infertility, inability to work and stigmatization.
Occasionally he stressed, women also develop fistulas from cancer or radiation treatment from cancer, injury during other gynecologic or obstetric surgery or injury during a caesarian section or destructive delivery.
“Fistulas can also be caused directly because of Coital trauma and sexual violence and infection specifically lymphogranuloma venereum,” Kanya revealed.
The Director however, dislosed that some early warning signs that pregnant women and health professionals should be aware of include prolonged or obstructed labor.
He added that, other risk factors include, cephalo-pelvic disproportion (CPD) due to malnutrition, large fetus or malpresentation of fetus and harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM).
He said, the best strategy to address obstetric fistula is to prevent obstructed labor by providing safe and timely emergency obstetric care.
Meanwhile, he advocated that timely access to emergency obstetric care, play a critical role in preventing the condition.
Primary prevention measures according to him, also includes adolescent and maternal nutrition and education and empowerment for women.
He said, the state Ministry of health in collaboration with Ministry of Women Affairs, have revived the Safemotherhood Initiative to combat obstetric fistula.
He added that the state in partnership with Doctors without Borders have been providing interventions in Jahun General Hospital since 2008, through emergency Obstetrics, New‐born care, Vesicovaginal Fistula (VVF) care and rehabilitation.
The annual number of patients managed by the hospital is 12,000-13,000 deliveries, including 2000 cesarean sections and 300 VVF surgeries.
COV/USMAN MZ
