Source: All Africa
Fistula surgeon, Dr Suleiman Zakariya, says an increasing number of women are coming down with fistula - uncontrolled leaking of urine or faeces from the vagina - because of botched caesarean operations by incompetent surgeons.
The exact number of women developing iatrogenic fistulas, accidental fistulas resulting from failed caesarean sections, is uncertain but hospital evidence indicate they are growing, said Zakariya, a clinical associate with Engender Health Nigeria, which runs Fistula Care Plus, a five-year fistula treatment and rehabilitation programme funded by the US Agency for International Development in at least a dozen states in Nigeria.
Between 100,000 and 150,000 women are estimated to have the condition as caused by obstructed labour in Nigeria, with at least 12,000 new cases coming up each year.
Speaking at a workshop in Kano, Zakariya said combined capacity of fistula surgeons could only repair about 5,000 women annually, leaving a growing backlog in need of surgery.
Obstetric fistula, caused by prolonged and obstructed labour, can be averted by prompt medical attention or treated free at more than a dozen supported fistula centres around the country, Zakariya also said.
He said fistulas caused by botched caesarean operations have only increased the backlog of women in need of repair before they can return to their normal lives.